The Tabby cat, the Phoenix and the Kitten
by Riding-Lover-17
Summary: Minerva and Albus are going to have a baby, but a few months after the baby is born, tragedy strikes and the baby is taken from them. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

Minerva paced the room as she waited for Albus to get back from his meeting with the minister. She had only just found out from Poppy.

She had been feeling off in the past few weeks, but dismissed it as a bug she had caught from the students, after all it was that time of year and there was defiantly something going around. She began to throw up nearly every morning, and her husband, Albus had begged her to o and see Poppy. The only reason she did so was because she could see he was worried about her, so that morning as Albus left for his meeting with fudge, Minerva went to see Poppy.

Now, hours later, she waited for her husband to come through the floo.

'why now!?' she thought as she paced the room 'we have tried for this before, but why now! We are in the middle of a war for Merlin's sake!'

She sighed and slumped herself down into a chair by Albus's desk just as he came through the floo. Minerva immediately stood up.

"Ah, Minerva my dear, just the person I was hoping to see." Albus began.

"Albus." Minerva said as he brought her ino a hug.

"Did you see Poppy today Min?" he asked not letting her continue.

"I did, and well that what I have to talk to you about." she said not looking him in the eye. This didn't go unnoticed by Albus as he looked down at his wife, worry etched all over his face.

"what's wrong? Are you alright?" he asked sitting down in one arm chair as Minerva sait in the other, still holding her hand.

"yes, yes i'm fine, it's just.." she began

"what? What is it Minerva?" Albus asked now extremely worried.

"Albus, I'm pregnant." she said finally looking at Albus. He sighed a sigh a great relief.

"oh thank goodness! Minerva you had me extremely worried that something was terribly wrong my dear! That truley is fabulous news!" he said as he embraced her into a very large hug.

"fabulous!? Albus, in times like this. What if he were to find out? He would go after you!" she said looking into his eyes fear and worry in hers.

"no, my dear. Voldamort would not come after me, but you my dear, you and the baby. How far along are you?" he asked making Minerva feel oh so much better. Not.

"exactly Albus! What will happen then?" she asked

"nothing, because it won't happen." he said as he walked to the other side of his desk.

"Albus, don't be daft, surely he will find out about the baby." Minerva said a bit taken aback, from what Albus had said.

"of course he will Minerva, but that diesnt mean I will anything happen to either of you." he said and Minerva just looked down at her hands

"you didn't answer my question." Albus mentioned after a moment of silence.

"you're question?" Minerva asked not remembering it.

"how far along are you?" Albus repeated,

"I believe Poppy said about two months." Minerva said and looked up at Albus and into his twinkling blue eyes, which seemed to calm her instantly. Smiling, Albus came around to where his wife was standing and lifted we up bridal style. Minerva let out a scream.

"Albus!" she squealed

"what are you doing!"

"Ah, my darling you need your rest!" he said as he carried her into his private quarters, transfiguring her robes into a nightgown and putting her down into bed. He transfigured his own robes into bed clothes and got into bed next to her.

"goodnight tabby, I love you." he said as he placed his hand over her flat stomach, that would soon swell, as their child grew,

"I love you too." she said placing her hand over his and they drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Albus awoke to the sound of retching. He looked over at minerva's side of the bed to notice that it was empty. He stood from the bed and made his way over to the bathroom.

Opening the door, he looked down to see his wife kneeling over the toilet. He crouched down and gathered her hair into a pony tail and rubbed her back.

"How long have you been up Minnie?" He asked

"Don't call me that, and about an hour." She said, as a wave of sickness overcame her.

"Why didn't you wake me?" He has softly still rubbing her back.

"I didn't want to." Was all she could say.

"How about I go and get Poppy, perhaps she has something that could help." He asked an Minerva nodded.

Albus stood and made his way into the bedroom where he changed into a set of robes, light blue with gold dots. He exited his chambers and entered his office avoiding his desk, where he knew there would be a letter from either a parent and/or the minister.

He left his office and made his way to the hospital wing. Opening the door, he saw Poppy tending to the few students that lie in the beds.

"Madam Pomfrey, might I have word, in your office?" Albus asked with a smile.

"Of course Albus, let me just finish up with Miss White and I will be with you in a moment." She said continuing to change the bandage on the 3rd years arm.

Albus nodded and went to wait in her office. After a few moments Poppy walked in shutting the door behind her.

"What can I do for you Albus?" Poppy asked, she wasn't sure if Minerva had told him about the pregnancy or not, so she thought best not to mention it.

"We'll I was rather hoping that you would have something that you could give to Minerva, to help settle her stomach. Morning sickness you see." Albus said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

"Ah, so she did tell you, I wasn't sure. You know Minerva, doesn't like to worry anyone with anything." She said as she went into a store room.

"That most defiantly is true." Albus said as she came back with a box filled with small flasks, each containing a light blue liquid.

"Tell her to take one of these every morning for the next month or so. It should help." Poppy said handing Albus the box.

"Thank you Poppy, we will see you at breakfast then." Albus said as he left the office. He nodded at the students as he past them and left the hospital wing. Finally getting to his office, he said the password in front of the gargoyle, which jumped aside and he ascended the stairs.

Passing his desk, he stopped and looked at the letters. 'After breakfast.' He told himself and went into his chambers.

Minerva was lying on the bed, looking exhausted. One arm was covering her face and the other was over her stomach.

"Minerva, darling are you feeling any beteer?" He asked and Minerva just shook her head.

"Here," he said taking one of the flasks from the box and taking off the lid. "Drink this, it'll help." He said and Minerva sat up and snatched the flask out of his hand and gulped it down. Instantly, she felt better. The colour returned in her face, and she felt well rested.

"You need to take one of these every morning for the next month or so." Albus said repeating Poppy's instructions.

"Thank you Albus," she said standing from the bed. "I'm going to take a shower i'll be out in a few minutes." She said walking into the bathroom and getting into the shower. Albus decided to read some of his book while he waited.

About 10 minutes later Minerva emerge from the bathroom dressed in her teaching robes, her hair in its usual tight bun and her spectacles perched on her nose.

"Ready to go to breakfast Albus?" She asked interrupting his reading.

"Of course, darling." He said marking his page and setting the book down.

"What are you reading?" She asked.

"Oh a muggle book, by the name of 'Sherlock Holmes'." He said as the left his quarters.

"Ah, very good books aren't they?" She asked as the exited his office and went down the stairs heading to the great hall.

"Indeed." He replied as they continued to walk. They continued the walk to the great hall in silence just enjoying each others company. They only spoke as the got to the doors to the hall.

"After you Professor McGonagall." Albus said with a smile. Minerva looked into his twinkling blue eyes and smiled.

"Thank you ProfessorDumbledore." She said and entered the great hall. She took her seat at the staff table beside the headmasters chair. She began to put food on her plate. She was rather hungry, after all she had emptied nearly everything that had been in her stomach, earlier that morning.

"Good morning Minerva." A voice to minerva's right said.

"Good morning Fillius, how are you?" Minerva said looking at the charms professor.

"Oh very good, thank you Minerva, and yourself?" He asked in a cheery voice.

"Fine thank you." She replied with a smile, then put a piece of pancake into her mouth. She looked around the hall as students were filing in and sitting down at their house tables.

Breakfast was almost finished when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Minerva turned around to see Poppy standing beside her.

"Good morning, Poppy" Minerva said

"Morning, Minerva. Did you take the potion I have you this morning?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you!" Minerva said with a smile.

"During free period, would you come to my office?" Poppy asked

"Of course Poppy, may I ask what for?" Minerva asked a little worried that there was something wrong with the baby.

"Can't I just have a cup of tea with my best friend, during her free period!?" Poppy joked sounding offended.

"Alright, alright, don't get your wand in a knot, I will see you later then." Minerva said standing from her chair. She touched Albus' shoulder to let him know that she was leaving to start her class, saying good bye to Fillius and Poppy, she headed off to her 1st class of the day.


	3. Chapter 3

"I want a foot and a half of parchment, describing the proper procedure on transfiguring animals into water goblets, on my desk by Monday morning." Minerva said to her second her class of gryffindors and slytherins.

"Class dismissed." She continued sitting down at her desk, going through some paper work. It was finally her free period, after a grueling double transfiguration with the second year gryffindors and slytherins.

She sighed as the last student left her classroom. She had to head to Poppy's for tea. She gathered some 4th year essays that she had to mark, and headed off to the hospital wing.

She opened the door and walked down the wing giving slight smiles to the sick or injured students that lie in the beds. She came to Poppy's office and knocked on the door. When there was no answer she called out.

"Poppy? Poppy where are you?" Minerva asked, peering into the windows to her office.

"In here Minerva!" Poppy called from a private room. Minerva followed Poppy's voice into the room, when she opened the door there was a bed and a whole bunch of muggle medical equipment.

"Poppy what is all this?" Minerva asked shock written all over her face as she looked around the room.

"These are medical devices that muggles use, I believe it's called an ultrasound machine, now lie down." Poppy demanded.

"Poppy I am not going to lie down, I came for tea and besides I have essays to grade an-"

"Minerva McGonagall! Lie. Down." Poppy said, glaring at her friend, Minerva loudly put her stack of essays down on a table and huffed over to the bed where she lay down. Poppy transfigured her robes into a muggle shirt and jeans, the she lifted Minerva's shirt to expose her stomach.

Poppy pulled out a tube if gel, and hit the bottom against her hand.

"This may be a bit cold." She said opening the tube, just as she was about to squeeze the gel onto minerva's stomach there was a knock on the door.

"Poppy? Are you in there?" Albus asked

"Yes Albus, come in." She replied looking at the door.

"Oh! Well, what's all this?" Albus asked as he walked in and saw Minerva on the bed in muggle clothing, her stomach exposed and all the machinery around her.

"I have no idea." Minerva replied and Poppy lightly smacked her arm.

"You'll see, again this may be cold." Poppy said squeezing the gel into Minerva's stomach. She gasped, as she wasn't expecting it to be that cold, and Albus walked over, conjuring a chair for himself and sat down taking Minerva's hand.

"Well whatever she is doing, I'm sure it will be fine!" Albus said. Poppy was now moving something across her stomach, eyes glued to the odd looking screen, searching for something. Minerva was about to ask what her friend was looking for when Poppy made a triumphant noise.

"There!" Poppy said enthusiastically pointing to a pulsating dot on the screen.

"What is it?" Minerva asked having no clue what she was talking about.

"That, Minerva," Poppy said emphasizing 'that' "is your child's heartbeat." Poppy said proudly.

Minerva looked at the screen to the small pulsating dot which was the heart beat of their child. Her child, her and Albus' child. Minerva couldn't believe it. She had always wanted a child and now her dream was coming true.

She looked up at Albus, a smile on her face. He looked at her a smile on his.

"We're having a baby." Minerva said as the news really started to sink in.

"We're having a baby." Albus said back as he kissed his wife's forehead. The two looked back to the screen displaying their baby's heartbeat and a tear escaped and ran down Minerva's cheek. It was a tear of joy


	4. Chapter 4

Poppy gave Minerva some paper towel, to clean herself up and left the room to go check on the students occupying the beds.

Minerva carefully wiped off the gel, and used an extra paper towel to wipe her eyes. Albus transfigured her muggle clothes back into her teaching robes and Minerva preformed a spell to make her eyes look less puffy and less like she had just been crying.

Albus walked over to his wife and hugged her. He was so excited to be having a baby, both he and Minerva had wanted one ever since they had gotten married.

He was also worried that when not if, Voldemort found out that he would go after Minerva and his child. He wouldn't let anything happen to them. Minerva, and now this baby were his world.

Suddenly he realized that Minerva had begun to cry in his embrace. He pulled out of the hug, his hands on her arms as he looked at her face.

"Minerva, my love, why all these tears. He said moving a hand to her face and gently wiping away her tears.

"I don't know! I never cry this much Albus! It must be my hormones starting to run wild." She said half joking and Albus smiled. He was about to bring her back into his embrace when she began to sob harder.

"It's just that is becoming so real! We're finally having a baby! But in these times, oh Albus I'm so worried. What if something happens? And don't say nothing will, because you can't stop everything!" Minerva said. Albus said and looked into his wife's beautiful emerald eyes.

"You're right. But I can do all that is in my power to try and prevent anything from happening." He said and it seemed to work, she smiled and leaned back into his embrace.

They stayed like that for a while before Minerva sighed and pulled her way out of her husbands arms.

"I," she began "have a class to teach, and I didn't mark any of these essays." She said picking up the unmarked essays that lay on the table.

"I will see you at lunch daddy." She said with a smile. She kissed his cheek and left the room an unfamiliar smile plastered on her face.

Albus' heart felt whole as she smile up at him and called him 'daddy'. He could not wait to have his son or daughter there in front of him actually calling him that as well.

The students who were in the hospital wing watched Minerva with shocked faces as she walked down the wing. They had never seen her smile like that ever.

Minerva chuckled at their faces, she could care less what they thought of her, nothing could ruin that moment of her life, nothing


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the school year went by extremely fast for Minerva, with everything she had to do. Albus was constantly away with the minister or at order meetings, and he forbid Minerva to attend them now that she was pregnant.

It was nearing the end of June and she was 7 months pregnant, with a now showing baby bump. Luckily for her, it wasn't too big so her teaching robes hid it well.

The week had been a long one for Minerva, so she was pleasantly surprised when she received a letter from one of her favourite students, Lily Potter.

Lily had written Minerva asking her if she would like to join her for lunch and tea on the weekend. Minerva had gladly accepted and was now getting ready to leave hogwarts to meet lily.

Since Albus was away Minerva had asked Fillius to mind the castle while she was out for the day.

Once she was sure she had everything she headed to the floo, to floo to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Alright my wee little one, were going through the floo now." Minerva Sid rubbing her belly, sort of warning her son or daughter about the upcoming felling from the floo network.

She grabbed a handful of floo powder and clearly saying her destination and she was gone.

Within seconds she was coming through the floo at the leaky cauldron. She stepped out of the fire place and dusted herself off.

"There, all done baby." She said quietly and rubbed her belly again. She looked out over the tables and saw lily sitting at one with a glass of water. Minerva smiled and made her way over to her. As she walked up to the table Lily turned and smile at her and started to get up.

'She is extremely pregnant!' Minerva thought as she approached her.

"Oh you don't have to get up Lily!" She said to a grateful looking Lily

"Thank you, Professor how are you?" She asked as Minerva eased herself into the chair across from lily. Minerva smiled and was about to answer when the baby kicked hard at her ribs, causing Minerva to cry out in both pain and surprise.

"Oh! Sorry, the baby kicked. Rather hard. And please call me Minerva" She said to a concerned looking Lily, as she rubbed her stomach.

"Oh, I know exactly how you feel, he can just be so hyper at times!" She said pointing to her stomach. Minerva nodded in agreement.

"Have you and James picked a name yet?" She asked as she ordered a glass of water for herself.

"Yes, we're going to name him Harry." She said with a smile.

"Oh Lily that's a lovely name! When are you due, sometime soon I would think?" Minerva asked and Lily nodded.

"The end of July. How about you have you and Albus got any names yet?" Lily asked taking a sip of her water.

"Well, we haven't really had much of a chance to talk about it since he is so busy" she said also taking a sip of her water.

"Oh well I hope he gets less busy." Lily said and Minerva smiled. Tom brought the two menus, and they ordered lunch.

After they ate the two sat at the table, and talked about how everything was going. Soon James came through the floo and walked over to the table.

"Ah, Professor, how are you?" He asked.

"Please call me Minerva, and I am great how are you James?" Minerva asked.

"I am very good." He said looking down at Lily.

"Darling we should be going, you have your appointment to get to you know." James reminded her.

"Oh yes." Lily said looking a little disappointed.

"I'm so sorry Minerva." Lily said.

"Oh it's fine Lily, I should be getting back to the castle anyway. Good luck with your appointment, Lily. It was great seeing you both!" She said getting up. Lily got up as well, and the two awkwardly hugged.

Minerva waved goodbye before heading to the floo.

"Well my wee little one, here we go again." She said taking a handful of floo powder


	6. Chapter 6

When Minerva got back to the castle, there was a note lying on her coffee table. She went over and picked it up.

"Professor McGonagall please come to my office whenever it is you get back.

Headmaster Dumbledore."

Minerva was confused. Why did he refer to her as Professor and to himself Headmaster? She had a feeling she was going to get in trouble. Dusting the soot off herself she made her way to her husbands office.

She was about to say the password to the gargoyle, when she was hit with a sudden pain in her lower abdomen and back. She reached for the wall and put a hand on her belly. The pain only lasted a few seconds so Minerva brushed it off as needing to sit down with a nice cup of tea.

She said the password and the gargoyle kept aside, she walked onto the ascending stair case.

She knocked on the door of his study and he bellowed for her to enter. As she came in he offered her a chair, which she declined.

"Where were you Minerva?" Albus asked looking at her. Minerva was surprised, Albus seemed a tad angry, she didn't understand why, abut had a feeling she would find out.

"I had lunch with Lily. Is that alright with you?" She snapped her temper rising.

'Why should he be upset that I went out for lunch, I don't need to tell him every place I am going! He certainly doesn't!' She thought.

"Why did you not tell me?" He asked.

"Oh, I didn't realize I needed your permission, my apologies." She said sarcastically. The pain she had felt earlier had come back, but Minerva did her best to ignore it.

"Minerva I was worried! You didn't let me know, didn't leave a note, and when I got back to Fillius being in charge, he said that you had gone out for the afternoon and would be back later!" He said hi voice rising.

"Yes, I am aloud to go out and have lunch with a friend, bedsides it isn't like you let me know where you're going 90% of the time either. I wake up alone with a note on your pillow saying you will be back later! How do you think I feel!" She said yelling by the end of it.

The pain in her abdomen and back came back but this time slightly worse and Minerva put a hand to her stomach which did not go unnoticed by her husband.

"I would think," she continued "that I wouldn't have to ask your permission, to go out once in awhile seeing as you leave everyday without giving me a clue as to where you are going, if its dangerous, and how to reach you!" She said the pain coming back much worse this time. She took a deep breath in and shut her eyes trying to block out the pain.

"Minerva? Minerva are you alright?" Albus asked suddenly extremely concerned that his wife was injured and in pain. She nodded her head at his question but he could see that she was lying. He got up from behind his desk and walked over to her.

"Don't touch me." She said as he was about to put his hand on her arm. He looked hurt but did as she asked.

She lowered herself into a chair the pain escalating.

"Get Poppy." She said biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut. Albus was extremely concerned and sent Poppy a patronus. He knelt beside her as she was talking to their baby.

"Not now wee little one, not now." She was saying and Albus immediately knew what was happening. Minerva was having contractions.

Poppy rushed into the office to find Minerva sitting hunched over in a chair in Albus' office. Albus was kneeling beside her holding her hand looking extremely worried and a bit scared.

"What happened?" Poppy asked rushing to Minerva's side.

"She's having contractions." Albus said as another hit.

"Has her water broken?" Poppy asked and Albus shook his head.

"Thank god, bring her to the bedroom, she needs to lie down." Poppy instructed. Albus picked Minerva up bridal style and hurried off into the bedroom. He gently laid her down on the bed while Poppy hurried around her.

"Minerva, you are in labour-" Poppy started but was interrupted by Minerva.

"But it's too soon!" She said pain in her voice.

"I know, so drink this it should stop the contractions all right?" Poppy said and Minerva drank it quick. The contractions started to ease up.

Poppy gave her a few more potions, and as Minerva fell asleep, Poppy took Albus out to the next room.

"She's going to be alright?" He asked

"Yes, she'll be fine." Poppy said as she conjured some tea.

"And the baby?"

"Luckily she will be fine as well, but If the two of you want that baby to make it to full term, Minerva is going to have to be on bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy." Poppy said and Albus nodded.

"Minerva is not going to like that, but she'll do it. And you said she, is the baby a girl?" Albus asked.

"Oh shoot, so sorry to have let that slip Albus, but yes it's a girl." Poppy said and Albus smiled before going back to their bedroom to sit at his wife's side.


	7. Chapter 7

Minerva slowly opened her eyes. She looked around and saw her husband sitting, asleep in the chair next to their bed. Remebering what had happened the night before, she put a hand to her belly. She felt releived as she rubbed her belly and the baby moved. She stayed like that for several minutes, looking out the window at the beautiful view, rubbing circles on her stomach and feeling the baby move every so often at her touch.

As she was making a circle, she felt a hand cover hers, stopping the movement. She looked over at Albus, who was smiling down at her.

"You're awake, my darling." He said and she nodded.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Tired mostly. Is the baby going to be alright?" She asked a worried expression crossing her face. Albus nodded with a smile.

"She is going to be just fine." He answered squeezing her hand. Minerva smiled and felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"She?"

"Yes, Poppy let it slip yesterday, and it appears so have I." Albus chuckled and the tears in Minerva's eyes began to fall.

'Why are you crying my dear?" Albus asked moving from the chair, to the bed.

"I am just so happy. I'm happy I have you, I'm happy that I'm having a daughter, I'm happy that she is going to be alright, I don't think I've ever been this happy before." Minerva said as she slowly sat up and hugged Albus. He felt a tear run down his cheek as he sat there holding his wife, he too was happy.

After a few moments, Minerva leaned back against the head of the bed.

"Would you like something to eat, Minerva?" Albus asked standing.

"I think so." Minerva said nodding as she felt a kick from the baby. Albus chuckled and went out to get something for them, as Poppy came bustling in.

"Oh good, you're awake." Poppy said as she set the case she was carrying down.

"Good morning to you to, Poppy." Minerva said sarcastically, Poppy glared at her friend as she rumaged through her case. She pulled out two potions, uncorking one, and handing it to Minerva. Minerva took the potion from her friend and gave her a worried look.

"Is everything alright?" Minerva asked.

"It will be. Minerva you had a close call, and it can't happen again. Drink it." Poppy said while uncorking the other potion, Minerva did as she was asked and switched the empty bottle for the next potion.

"You have to take these once a week, until you have the baby. And I am putting you on bedrest until then as well." Poppy said sternly. Minerva choked on her potion.

"Bedrest!?" She said loudly.

"Yes, you're on bedrest, meaning you will stay in bed until it's time for the baby to come." Poppy said, knowing her friend was going to argue.

"But I have classes to teach, a school to run when Albus isn't here, I can't do anything while I'm on bedrest!" Minerva protested, just as Albus came back with something for her to eat.

"What is this about bedrest?" Albus said happily as he set the breakfast tray infront of Minerva.

"I'm putting Mienrva on bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy" Poppy said. Minerva looked away from her friend and crossed her arms across her chest and huffed. Albus chuckled.

"Well that seems like a responsible option, doesn't it Minerva?" Albus said and Minerva glared at him.

"I will make sure she stays on her bedrest, Poppy" Albus said smiling.

"It's for you and the baby's life Minnie. You know I wouldn't do it to you unless it was absolutly nessacery." Poppy said sitting down on the bed and patting Minerva's hand. Minerva knew her friend was right, she looked up at her and gave her a faint smile.

Poppy smiled back before turning to Albus.

"Make sure she takes these once a week." She said before leaving the room. As soon as the door clicked shut Minerva turned to Albus.

"I can't stay on bedrest for 3 months Albus, I'll go mad!" She said and he laughed.

"It isn't funny, what am I supposed to do when you are gone, if I am on bedrest!? How am I supposed to teach my classes!?" Minerva asked her voice rising.

"Fillius will mind the school while I am gone, and I will hire a substitute teacher for the last few weeks of school and then it will be summer, and you will have your mother to keep you company while I'm away." Albus said.

"Oh joy, my mother." Minerva said sarcastically.

"The time will go by before you know it, and soon our daughter will be here." He finished and Minerva smiled.

"You always know how to cheer me up." she said, Albus smiled and handed her a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoyed breakfast together.


	8. Chapter 8

The next few weeks had gone by much too slowly for Minerva, bedrest certainly did not suit her, she liked to go for walks, she liked to be kept a bit busy, not laying in bed day in and day out, with absolutely nothing to do.

Albus had been gone for the past two weeks, Fillius kept her constantly updated on what he was doing with the castle, Poppy and Rolonda came by a few times, always complaining about Minerva's temperary replacement, which made her feel a tiny bit better.

But now school was out for the summer holidays, and Albus had come back to take Minerva to their manor house in Scotland. Poppy had suggested that they travel like muggles would, as it would be less stress for the baby. Poppy had agreed to go and stay with Minerva and Albus over the summer to watch Minerva as it was getting closer to Minerva's due date.

So after everything they needed for the summer was packed up, they headed to the train station in Hogsmede. Minerva was in a wheel chair with Albus pushing it and Poppy walking beside her. They got to the train with little trouble, Poppy and Albus helped Minerva into the compartment, and settled into it themselves.

They road the train to King's Cross station, where they transfered onto a train to Scotland. Once they arrived in Scotland, Albus rented a car, and drove them to their Manor house.

"I'll be back in a few hours dear." Albus said to Minerva, once everything was inside as he left to take back the car.

Poppy helped Minerva into bed, and was about to go and get her, her potions when there was a tapping at the window, the two women looked over to see an owl sitting on the sill. Minerva gasped, knowing exactly whose owl that was.

Poppy walked over to the window and let the owl in, she took the letter from the owl and walked over to MInerva.

"It's for you, do you have anything I can give the owl to eat?" Poppy asked handing the letter to Minerva.

"In the first drawer on the bedside table." she told Poppy and began to open the letter. Minerva grimaced. The letter was from her mother. Of course she loved her mother to pieces, but she and Minerva were complete opposites, and these two opposites didn't always attract. Minerva opened the letter and began to read.

_Dear Minerva,_

_Oh darling, how are you doing? Poppy and Albus owled me not too long ago, telling me what happened, I just hope that my only daughter is doing alright. I messaged your brothers as well, they're worried about you, but I told them, I did, I said, 'You boys know Minerva, that baby isn't going anywhere if she has anything to do with.' _

_I also wanted to remind you that I am coming to stay next month, also your brothers will be popping in every once in awhile._

_I cannot wait to see you! I miss you terribly, with you being at Hogwarts almost all the time, I rarely get to see you. Not that I'm not proud of you because I am, but I just wish that you got more time off._

_Tell Albus and Poppy hello!_

_I love you!_

_-Mom_

__Minerva sighed as she put down the letter. Poppy came back into the room with Minerva's potions. Minerva hadn't even noticed that Poppy had left.

"Who was the letter from?" Poppy asked as Minerva drank the first potion.

"My mother." She answered drinking the second.

"Oh? And what did Isobel have to say?" Poppy asked taking the empty viles from Minerva.

"Well, she asked how I was doing, and she told Robert and Malcome, and now they're coming to visit as well, not that I mind, they can help me handle mother." Minerva said pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Oh Minerva relax, she isn't that bad and you know it." Poppy said.

"Oh ho, not to you she isnt!" Minerva said back to her and Poppy laughed. The two women continued their conversation until Albus got back from returning the rental car.

When he got in, he went upstairs to their bedroom where Minerva and Poppy were talking. He came into the room and kissed Minerva on the cheek.

"I take it Minerva isn't causing too much trouble then?" Albus joked and Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Albus, my mother owled, reminding us that she will be coming next month, oh and my brothers will be stopping by a few times as well, she tells me." Minerva said not responding to his earlier comment.

"Ah, it should be nice to see all of them again." Albus said.

"See, even Albus doesn't think she is that bad Minerva!" Poppy said and Minerva rolled her eyes again.

"Well you two did not grow up with her!" Minerva protested but only got an eye roll and a head shake from Poppy and a smile from Albus.

"Oh you wait, you are going to wish that she didn't stay for so long, I guarentee it!" Minerva said, knowing that there was going to be plenty of arguments, and with Minerva's oh so scottish temper, they should all be interesting...


	9. Chapter 9

The month passed quickly, Poppy stayed at the house with Minerva, and Albus was still being called away constantly. The baby was growing more and more each day, even though she hated it, in the long run Minerva was glad that she was on bedrest.

"Here you are Minerva." Poppy said breaking Minerva from her thoughts, as she came into the room and handed Minerva a potion. She drank it and waited for the second, but it never came.

"Only one?" She asked confused.

"Yep, since its much closer to your due date, you don't need the other one any more." Poppy said taking the empty vile from her hand as Albus came in.

"Oh, alright then." Minerva said smiling, she couldn't wait until she was actually able to hold her daughter.

"Well, I'm off to pick up Isobel from the station, I'll be back in a few minutes." Albus said kissing his wife on the forehead, as she grimaced, and Albus chuckled.

"It wont be that bad darling, and plus your brothers are flooing in tomorrow afternoon, they should be able to help while they are here." He said and apparated to the train station.

Minerva sighed and rubbed her belly, she looked down, and saw the outline of a little hand in her belly, she smiled and traced the tiny fingers. Poppy looked over and saw Minerva doing this, she came over and smiled as she saw exactly what she was tracing.

"You know, I don't think I have ever seen you as happy as you have been in the last few years, ever since you married Albus, you've just gotten happier and happier!" Poppy said as Minerva smiled continuing to trace the small hand.

"I'm just so thankful that I have him. I was absolutely blessed to be with a man like him! I still am, and now we are having a baby! It's just all so amazing! It feels like a dream, but when I pinch myself, I'm already awake." Minerva responded tears forming in her eyes.

"If only I was less hormonal!" She said wiping the tears and Poppy laughed.

"Have you and Albus decided on any names yet?" Poppy asked.

"We'll not together, I have a first name in mind that I hope he will like." Minerva said and Poppy looked at her expectantly.

"Well what is it?" She asked impatiently, Minerva chuckled.

"Ariana." She said plainly and Poppy smiled.

"Oh he'll like that one I'm sure." She said just as they heard a crack from outside.

"Oh lord have mercy." Minerva said under her breath as the front door opened. She could hear Albus talking to Isobel, and showing her, her room. Then Isobel asked about the whereabouts of we daughter and she heard Albus chuckle as he led her to their room.

"Oh! My darling daughter! Look at you! You're absolutely glowing!" Isobel said as she ran over to Minerva and hugged her.

"Hi mum." Was all Minerva said.

"Oh look at you! It won't be long now, you look ready to burst all right!" Isobel said straightening up.

"Oh mother!" Minerva said her Scottish accent really coming out in her voice.

"I am going to spoil this baby rotten!" Isobel said paying no attention as to what her daughter said.

"No mother please don't" Minerva protested but Isobel payed no attention. Minerva looked to Albus for help, Albus looked at Poppy and she nodded.

"Isobel I hate to interrupt, but Minerva really needs her rest, stress isn't good for the baby, especially because Minerva is on bed rest." Poppy said walking over to Isobel.

"She's on bed rest!?" She asked Poppy, without waiting for an answer she looked at Minerva with worry all over her face.

"You're on bed reat?" She asked Minerva who put a hand to her forehead. She was about to say something but Albus interrupted.

"Why don't we go to the sitting room, and discuss this over tea, so Minerva can get some rest. Poppy would you take Isobel downstairs! The two of you can catch up before I come down." Poppy nodded and Isobel kissed her daughter on the forehead and left with Poppy.

Minerva sighed as Albus sat down beside her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked taking her hand in his.

"Tired really, after that ordeal I am exhausted, even though I hardly did anything!" Minerva said looking exasperated.

"Well that's alright, get some sleep and I will be up in a bit to check on you." He said giving Minerva a kiss and standing to leave.

"Albus?" Minerva called and he turned.

"What do you think of the name Ariana, as a name for our daughter?" Minerva asked nervously.

"Really?" Albus asked sincerely and Minerva nodded.

"I think it's beautiful." Albus said smiling, Minerva smiled and Albus came over and kissed her once again, and then left the room to speak with Isobel and Poppy as Minerva slept..

* * *

**Sorry for crazy posts everyone, but this story got deleted off of fanfiction :( I may have accidentally done it, but I dont know :( Luckily i had the same story on a different site, there are only a few differences and well one major one, so once again sorry about that, but i have more chapters for it now :) even if they are short :( but you may just want to re-read all the chapters though because other wise it wont make any sense, sorry this message is in the latest chapter, but yeah, I am tired, so please forgive me, anyway hope you like this version better, because i sort of do ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

Albus was touched that Minerva wanted to name their daughter after his sister. He loved and missed her very much, and he thought she would be happy to know that their daughter would be named Arianna.

He descended the stairs and entered the sitting room where a worried looking Isobel sat, right next to a sympathetic Poppy.

"Albus," Isobel said noticing he was there, "how did it happen? Why is my daughter on bed rest?" She asked deeply worried for Minerva.

Albus took a deep breath and began to tell Isobel how it happened. Telling her how Minerva left to have lunch with a friend, and how worried he was when he couldn't find her. He told them about the note he had left for Minerva after his worry turned into a stupid anger, he said how she came up to his office angry, an they talked, and how she looked like she was in pain but when he asked her she wouldn't say anything about it except she was fine.

After finishing the story Isobel nodded.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault she is there in that bed, exhausted even just after talking. It'a all my fault, Isobel-" he was trying to explain but was cut off but Isobel's hand coming up and stopping him.

"Albus, it isn't your fault, you must stop blaming yourself. These things happen and I am just glad and relieved that you are here with her. The man she loves. You care for her and it had better stay that way young man!" She said pointing a finger at him.

Albus chuckled, "I am not young, Isobel surely you know that?" Albus joked.

"Well your younger than I, so yes you're young." She said pulling him into a hug. The two let go and were about to sit down and have some tea, when they head the soft music of a piano.

"Is that Minerva?" Isobel asked.

"Oh, I will tie that woman to her bed and give her a bed pan so she can use the restroom!" Poppy ranted and headed upstairs.

"She still plays piano?" Isobel asked. Albus nodded, "indeed she does. Quite often really, it's beautiful and I think the baby likes it. She loves to play, she even had a piano in her quarters at Hogwarts." He said with a smile before heading upstairs with Isobel to the sound of the music.

"Minerva! You cannot be sitting up like this! You can play your ruddy piano after this baby is born! Now come on back to bed!" Poppy sternly said but Minerva kept playing. Albus and Isobel entered just as she was finishing the song. Slowly she turned around to face Poppy.

"She likes it." Was all Minerva said, rubbing her stomach and starting to stand, Poppy rolled her eyes and helped a very pregnant Minerva to her feet.

"And besides it gives me more to do than just sit there all day doing nothing except re-reading the entire library and only getting up to use the loo or grab something new to wear whilst I lay in bed all day, resting." She ranted while Poppy ignored her and brought her back to her bedroom.

"Take advantage of your sleep now Minerva because that baby won't be giving you very much when she gets here!" Isobel piped up, Albus chuckled and Minerva rolled her eyes as she got back into the bed.

"Let me check you over Min." Poppy said as Minerva was getting comfortable, she sighed and stopped fidgeting while Poppy poked and prodded, and cast spells.

"It won't be long now Minerva, I'd say she will be here in a couple of weeks! Then you can busy yourself with her and you can stop complaining! I'm going to go call the healers at St. Mungo's, one of the head healers will want to come check you out every few days now." She said and walked out of the room.

Minerva smiled and rubbed her belly as she felt the babe move beneath we finger tips. Albus came over and put his hand over hers and sat down next to her. She looked up and smiled at her husband before leaning into him.

"I'll leave you be." Isobel said with a small smile before leaving the room.

"I hope she doesn't have your sweet tooth, or she won't grow any teeth!" Minerva joked.

"Oh, I hope she does, then I can take her to the best candy shops in the wizarding and the muggle world!" Albus joked back, Minerva scoffed.

They continued to lay there, in a comfortable silence until Poppy returned with Isobel and the healer she had called.

"Minerva, Albus, this is Healer Jenkins, she is going to take over the care of you and the baby until she is born." Poppy introduced.

"Hello, how is everyone today?" Healer Jenkins asked pulling a chair up beside Minerva.

"Well, I'd be better if I wasn't stuck in this bed all day everyday.." Minerva complained, and Poppy rolled her eyes.

"You'll have to excuse her, she's difficult." Poppy informed the Healer.

"I am not difficult." Minerva said pursing her lips, the healer laughed.

"Well that's alright, do mind if I take a look Professor McGonagall?" She asked.

"Please, call me Minerva, I suppose this is personal enough to be on a first name basis.." Minerva said moving her hands out of the way as Healer Jenkins felt around her belly.

"Well, everything is looking good, the baby is stable and healthy, as is the mother, I estimate your due date to be around the 20th of September, give or take a few days. I will be back in a few days to check on you." The healer told them after finishing her exam, and left the room with Poppy.

"Just under a month Minne." Isobel said to her daughter, Minerva smiled, dispite the fact that her mother had called her 'Minnie', a nickname that she had hated since she was a teen.

The next couple of weeks went by rather quickly, Poppy had gone out and bought Minerva some new books, so she had less to complain about. Healer Jenkins had been coming more often to check up on the baby and Minerva, and her mother was getting unbearable.

Her brothers had come to visit, and could distract her while they were there, but they couldn't stay forever, and Isobel was starting to really get on Minerva's nerves. They argued about everything, and even though Minerva loved her mother, she was getting very tired of her nagging.

On this particular day Minerva and her mother were arguing over what Minerva was going to do with the baby when she went back to work. Isobel wanted to watch her while Minerva was working, but Minerva didn't want to be away from her daughter for so long. The two of them were getting frustrated with each other for not understanding one another's point of view.

"I am not a child mother! I am having a child for Merlin's sake! It is _MY _child, and I get the final say of what I will do with her while I am teaching!" Minerva argued her temper raging.

"You are being irrational Minerva, it's best for her to stay with me while you are working, and you know it!" her mother fired back.

"When would I be able to see her? For two months every year, plus holiday times? I don't think so! She will stay at Hogwarts with her parents, and that is final!" Minerva yelled back.

As the two continued to argue, Albus poured Poppy a cup of tea.

"Will those two ever agree on anything?" Poppy asked, hearing their shouts.

"I'm not sure that they will, best let them figure it out for themselves. I wouldn't want to be caught in the cross fire of two Scottish tempers." Albus said popping a lemon drop in his mouth.

"What do you think? About where the baby will go while the two of you are at school?" Poppy asked, curious as to what his opinion on the matter was.

"I would love for her to stay at the school personally, I'm sure she could stay with me while Minerva is teaching, and doing her other duties, and I'm sure some of the other staff would be happy to take her if either of us couldn't." Albus said truthfully.

Poppy was about to reply, when Isobel came rushing down the stairs.

"Albus! Poppy! Call the Healer, her water broke! The baby is coming!" Isobel informed them, many emotions in her voice, nervousness, excitement, worry.

Albus got up quickly and ran to their bedroom, Isobel closely behind him. Poppy went to the floo and fire called Healer Jenkins.

Healer Jenkins arrived and went straight up to where Minerva was, Poppy closely behind her. She opened the door to see Minerva's eyes closed, pain written all over her face, squeezing her husband's hand, and Isobel standing beside the bed.

Healer Jenkins sprung into action, casting spells to see how far along she was, about 4cm according to the spell, she had progressed incredibly fast. Jenkins pulled a chair up and pulled on some rubber gloves.

"Alright Minerva, let's have this baby!" She said, and Minerva groaned at the pain, quietly cursing her husband for doing this to her.


	11. Chapter 11

As the hours passed, the contractions got worse, meaning much more pain for Minerva, and therefore Albus, he hated to see her pain, not to mention that he could no longer feel his hand. He wished that there was something he could do for her, but there wasn't and he knew that, he just had to wait, and let the Healer do her job.

"Alright Minerva, on the next contraction, I need you to take a deep breath and push, okay?" The healer asked, and Minerva nodded.

The next contraction came and Minerva pushed, and screamed at the pain. Poppy counted to ten and the healer told her to breath. They repeated this a few more times, everyone telling her she was doing great.

Suddenly the room was filled with a cry, Minerva smiled and sighed a sigh of relief.

"Congratulations! Say hello to your new baby girl!" The healer congratulated them, and giving the baby to Minerva. Tears of joy were falling from her eyes, as she held her daughter for the first time. Albus kissed Minerva's head, tears of joy falling from his sparkling blue eyes as well.

"Welcome to the world, little Arianna!" Albus said as his daughter opened her eyes to revel sparkling blue eyes just like her fathers.

"Oh Albus, she's beautiful!" Minerva cried, not taking her eyes of her daughter.

"Just like her mother." Albus said.

"Alright, I'm going to ask you all to leave the room for a moment, while I show Minerva some things, I'll call you when were finished." Healer Jenkins told them shooing them from the room. Albus kissed his wife again and left the room smiling.

"Congratulations Albus!" Poppy said giving him a hug, once they were out of the room.

"She's beautiful!" She continued

"Thank you Poppy! She is beautiful."

They continued to talk until the Healer came out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

"Is everything alright?" Albus asked worried.

"Oh yes, everything is fine, Mother and Daughter are just sleeping is all, you can go in if you'd like, just be careful not to wake them." The healer said. Albus smiled and went into the room. He sat in a chair in between his wife and daughter, and just watched them sleep. He was so thankful to have them. It was the best day of his life.

It had been a month since Arianna Kendra Isobel McGonagall Dumbledore had been born on the 17th of September. Poppy had left a few weeks ago and Minerva had finally convinced her mother to leave as well. Now it was just the three of them, Albus, Minerva and Arianna.

Minerva sat in the living room reading a book by the fireplace as Albus played with Arianna. Albus had come up with a nickname for Arianna, Sherbet. Minerva shook her head every time he called her that. Arianna seemed to like it though, she smiled and waved her limbs, as her father as he shook a stuffed bunny and made funny faces at her.

"Ah, is that the time my dear?" Minerva looked up at the clock on the mantle, to see that is one o'clock. She knew that Albus had to go into work as school had started up again. He had gone to work for the morning, and while the students had lunch he had been coming home, then leaving again, and coming back after classes had finished and his duties for the day had finished.

"So it is, you should get going." She said standing and grabbing Arianna, and her bunny. Albus stood as well.

"Bye Sherbet, you be good for mommy, alright?" He said as he kissed his daughter on her head. He then kissed his wife on the cheek.

"I'll be back this evening." He said and walked over to the floo, and with green flames that Minerva shielded Arianna's eyes from, Albus was gone.

"Well, now it's just girl time isn't it, my Anna?" Minerva said looking at Arianna and sitting down on the blanket that was laid out on the floor. She laid Arianna down and gave her a muggle toy that her brother had given his niece.

After a few minutes Arianna began to rub her eyes tiredly, and Minerva put her down for a nap. When she came back downstairs, she sat down in the living room, picking up her book. After a few minutes of reading she got a fire call, standing, she went over to the fire place.

"Lily! What a pleasent surprise!" She said, smiling.

"Hello Minerva! I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time?" She asked.

"No not at all, I just put Arianna down for a nap, how can I help you?" Minerva replied.

"Oh, I was just wondering if I could bring Harry over, and we could have a cup of tea?" She asked, "I know it's short notice, and I'm sorry but I just need to get away from all these men, Remus, Sirius and James, they can be so immature at times." She said.

"Of course you can Lily! I understand, living with Albus, he must be one the most immature professionals I have ever met!" Minerva teased, "What time would like to come over?" she asked

"Well whatever time you would have us." Lily said.

"Alright, well how about in say half an hour? Does that work?" Minerva asked, excited that she would get to spend time with a favourite student of hers.

" That sounds lovely, thank you again for having us on such short notice!" Lily responded.

"No problem at all Lily, I look forward to it, see you in half an hour." Minerva replied, the two said goodbye, and Minerva began to clean up the house a little. She moved Arianna's things off to the side out of the way, and she had a house elf begin to make up some biscuits to go with the tea.

Just before Lily was set to arrive, Minerva went to check on Arianna. She smiled at her sleeping baby. She stood there for a moment before slilently leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

She walked down the stairs and into the living room just in time to see Lily and Harry arrive through the floo.

"Oh Lily! It's been too long!" Minerva said hugging her.

"And who do we have here, would this be Mr. Harry Potter?" Minerva said, making silly faces at him.

"Yes, the joy of my life, a pain sometimes but still a joy!" Lily said handing him to Minerva's open arms.

"Well if he is anything like James, then I'm sure he would be!" Minerva said.

"And where is your little one?" Lily asked looking around.

"She is still napping. She should be up soon though." Minerva said giving Harry back to Lily. Lily set him down on the floor, taking out some toys that she had brought for him.

"So, how does parenthood feel? Congratulations by the way." Lily said with a smile.

"Thank you! It's wonderful, she has changed my life so much, and in a good way. I love her more than anything in the world." Minerva said, as she heard a cry from upstairs.

"Oh speak of the devil, excuse me" Minerva said with a wink, and left to go and get Arianna. As she walked in, she saw Arianna lying down, tears coming down her face in her crib.

"Oh my sweet girl, no need for tears, Mommy's here." She said walking into the room and carefully lifting her daughter up out of the crib. The minute Minerva walked into the room the child stopped crying. Minerva smiled and changed her daughter's diaper and clothes before going back downstairs.

"Sorry about that." Minerva said sitting down with Arianna.

"Oh she is just precious!" Lily said smiling to Arianna.

"She is that." Minerva said smiling down to her baby. Minerva set Arianna down in a muggle bouncy chair, and called a house elf to bring the tea. As the two drank their tea, they talked about how thier lives had been since they had last seen each other, sharing stories, and watching their children play.

Lily looked at the clocked and gasped, "Oh is that the time!? Goodness, time sure goes by fast, I had better be going, I need to feed Harry, and start dinner for James and I." Lily said noticing it was already four o'clock in the evening. Minerva glanced at the clock, and stood with Lily. Lily gathered all of Harry's things with a flick of her wand, and picked up Harry and headed to the fireplace.

"Thank you again Minerva, I had a lovely time." Lily said as Minerva picked up Arianna

"Oh it was no trouble Lily, I enjoyed it. We should do it again soon!" Minerva said, Lily nodded and they said good-bye before the two disappeared in the floo. Minerva shielded Arianna's eyes from the green flames that had erupted when the Potter's left.

Sighing, Minerva sat down with Arianna, making faces at her, which made her smile, and that made Minerva smile. As she started playing "peek-a-boo" with her Albus erupted from the floo. Looking up Minerva smiled as he walked out of the fireplace.

" How was your day?" Minerva asked as she stood to greet her husband. Albus gave her a kiss and lifted Arianna from her arms and into his.

"Quite trying really, the Minister needed my help again." He explained while rocking Arianna back and forth.

"Don't rock her, she'll fall asleep now, then she wont sleep later, and she will be cranky when we have to wake her up to eat." Minerva scolded and Albus stopped rocking her.

Later on that night they ate dinner, and put Arianna to bed, before Albus was called to an Order meeting. Minerva wanted to come with him, but Albus wouldn't let her. He forced her to stay, even though she wasn't happy about it, she put Arianna before herself and stayed with her daughter.

Over the next few days it was determined that the Potter's would go into hiding, because of a prophecy that had been made of Voldemort and their son. Albus was now constantly busy, but made time for his wife a child. They meant more to him than all the candy in the world, and nothing could keep him from them.

And even in this time of utter sadness and worry, there was light and happiness. Many of the Professors even Professor Snape, had come by to congratulate Minerva and Albus, and to see the baby.

It was Halloween night and Albus and Minerva had already put Arianna to bed, and were now cleaning up after an eventful day, when Albus suddenly got a fire call.

"Albus! We've got a tip, we must act quickly!" The man said, and both Minerva and Albus knew it was about Voldemort and that Albus had to leave.

"Be careful." Minerva said giving her husband a tight hug.

"I will, I love you, and I love Arianna. I will see you soon." He said hugging her back.

"We love you too." She said and he apparated away. Minerva sat down staring at the spot from which her husband had just left. Little did she know that that night was a night of devastation, a night of joy for some, and a night of horror for others.

**Hey everyone! Sorry I hadn't updated in FOREVER but here we go two chapters in about a week! That's pretty good, you have to admit! Well anyway hope you like it, it's more of a chapter just to get the story moving along a bit more, I have already started working on the next one so hopefully it will be up soon as well! Then after that, I can work on next chapters, but I will be going to London on Tuesday, That's right LONDON! I'm so excited! But I wont be able to update until I get back, but I can work on the chapters so I'm hoping you wont have to wait too too long for an update! Thank you for being patient, and hanging in with the story! I love you guys! :) R&R, I really appreciate the feed back so I can improve :) THANKS Again! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

_"I am going to make sure that prophecy will never be fulfilled whatever it is, I need you bring me that child, and when I get back, I will deal with her, I want her alive as well as her parents."_

Minerva sat twiddling her thumbs. She hardly ever did this, but she had an awful feeling. It had been only an hour since Albus had been called away, and he had been called away before, but Minerva just couldn't shake this feeling she had.

She went to check on Arianna, she was sound asleep in her crib, Minerva brushed her fingers on her cheek, and moved the golden heart shaped locket that Albus had gotten for her. The locket shined in what little light was being let in through the hall, she could see the letters of her name engraved on the back. _Arianna M.D. _ Minerva smiled, she quietly left the room and went back downstairs, the bad feeling, still lingering.

She sat for a while, just twiddling her thumbs, waiting for her husband to get home. She heard a pop outside, her hand flew to her wand and her head snapped towards the door. She waited.

Nothing.

Then suddenly, just as she was about to relax, the front door burst open, Minerva stood, wand at the ready as three Death Eaters walked into the room. Her eyes went wide, and she gasped, she began to throw curses at them, and they threw curses back. Furniture broke, lights exploded and glass shattered.

Then, the cry of a baby was heard, and all the curses stopped. Minerva went towards the stairs, and she realized that they were here for her daughter. She quickly threw a curse at them and while they were distracted she ran up the stairs.

But the Death Eaters were quick to regain composure, and threw curses at her to try and stop her. One flew past her head, exploding the railing infront of her, she ducked and dodged a few more curses before firing more back at them, desperate to keep them away long enough for her to grab her daughter and apparate away.

She ran down the hall, but just as she was going to burst into her daughter's room, a curse hit her square in the back. Minerva dropped. The Death Eaters slowly walked towards her, she was still consious and trying to get back up, a Death Eater was quick to disarm her and kick her out of the way, hitting her with the cruitaius curse as the other two kicked open the nursery door. As the entered the room, they could hear Minerva's sceams start and stop as the Death Eater outside the room played with her.

The others walked slowly into the room to where the baby was crying. One picked up the babe, and nodded to the other, an left the room, the shuffled down the hall, hearing both mother and daughter's screams.

The last thing Minerva saw was her daughter screaming, being carelessly carried away. She tried to fight the curse on her to get to her daughter. But the Death Eater stunned her and she lost consciousness.

As the Death Eaters were leaving, they noticed an odd burning sensation on their left arms. They stopped outside of the house, one looked at his arm and watched at the dark mark faded. They looked at each other, not sure of what it meant. One of the Death Eater's cast the Dark Lords symbol above the house, and they apparated away, unaware at that moment, that their Lord was gone.

Voldemort had been defeated But at the expense of James and Lily's lives. Albus apparated back to his home. Walking up the path, looking at the ground, he thought of how his wife would react to hear about their deaths. He sighed and looked up at the house. He stopped, his eyes widening and jaw dropping.

The dark mark, was floating above his house. He ran, up the path, and through the broken door.

"Minerva!" He called frantically as he saw the broken furniture, and glass. His heart was beating a mile a minute, he searched the downstairs and saw nothing, running up the stairs, his worry only grew. He turned into the hallway and saw his wife lying unconscious on the ground outside of their daughter's bedroom.

He called her name again and ran to her, dropping to his knees. He took her pulse, seeing that see was alive, let out a breath, but then looked up to the broken door of the nursery. He put down Minerva's wrist, and stood, running into the room. He looked all around, but Arianna wasnt there. He ran to other rooms of the house searching for her, but she wasn't to be found.

He ran back to Minerva, picked her up and quickly apparated to St. Mungo's. Tears streaming down his face.

_"What do we do with her now!? We can't just give her back, with a note saying 'hey yeah, sorry we took your kid, here she is, we don't need her now!" A Death Eater yelled, over the wails of the baby laying on the table. _

_"Kill her!" One said._

_"We can't do that, what if the Dark Lord returns, he will want to use her, he is Albus Dumbledore's child afterall." Another said_

_"Leave her on a muggle's doorstep in the middle of no where, that'll take of her!, And if we need her, we can just take her." Another said, and that is just what the Death Eaters decided to do. The apparated to a small muggle farm, and left the screaming girl on the door step and quickly apparated away. _

Albus sat in his wife's room at St. Mungo's, squeezing her hand, waiting for her to wake up. The healers said that she would be alright physically she would just need time to gain consciousnesses.

He didn't know how to tell her. First to tell her that the Potter's were dead, and now to tell her that their child had been kidnapped as was most likely dead. He could barley cope with it himself, how he was going to be able to tell her, he didn't know. But he knew he had to.

Isobel was sitting on the other side, her tears had stopped and she just sat watching her daughter. Poppy had been in and out of the room all day, telling them if they needed anything, that everyone was willing to help them.

Fillius and a few other staff members were cleaning the mess that was their house at the moment. Severus was brewing dreamless sleep potions as well as others they thought Minerva might need in the next few days. School was out for an early break to celebrate the downfall of Voldemort and to mourn the deaths of friends and family.

Minerva began to stir, and Albus looked up to her face, moving closer to the edge of his seat. As she opened her eyes and looked around, Albus brushed some hair from her face.

"Albus," she whispered, not understanding why she was here at first, but she soon paled and a look of fright came across her face as she remembered what had happened, and tried to get up out of the bed.

"Albus, Arianna, they, they.." she couldn't continue as Albus stood, gently pushing her back down into the bed, and shushing her.

"Minerva, Voldemort has been defeated," he chose to start with, Minerva stopped fighting him and looked at him in shock.

"Lily and James are dead, they died protecting Harry, who defeated Voldemort." Albus told her gravely, Minerva's eyes grew watery and she looked away, a few tears falling before she looked up again, struggling to regain composure.

"Albus where is Arianna?" She asked needing to see her baby. Albus didn't respond, he sadly looked down, trying to stay strong for Minerva's sake.

"Albus, where is my daughter?" She asked more firmly, her lip trembling fearing the answer she would get from him. Isobel sobbed, and immediately left the room, Minerva hadn't even realized she had been there until she left sobbing, which didn't help the situation.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, where is my daughter!?" She raised her voice, fear etched all over her face, Albus looked up and into her eyes, and Minerva began to shake her head.

"She is gone. They took her, I don't know if she is aliv-" He began to say but Minerva's raised hand stopped him.

"No, no don't even finish that sentence " She sobbed, the tears streaming down her face now. Albus moved to sit on her bed, he went to hold her, but she moved away from him.

"Minerva," He started

"No, don't Minerva me, if I had just been quicker! If I had just, just-" She couldn't finish, devastated at the loss of her child. Albus realized that she blamed herself, he engulfed her in a hug, ignoring her attempts to not allow him to hold her, but after a while she gave up and collapsed in his arms.

They sat there for a long time. Both of them crying at everything that had happened.

Over the next few months, all of the staff helped Minerva and Albus get back on their feet. Minerva kept her composure around her colleges, she hadn't talked much, but she had tried to be strong.

Some days, when she was alone, she would go into Arianna's room, and pick up the stuffed bunny her daughter had loved, and sat in the rocking chair, holding the bunny to her chest, tears threatening to fall. She just hoped to whatever god there was out there that her daughter was alive.

**Hey everyone! So I finished this chapter a lot faster than I thought I would! Sorry it's so short! It's kinda sad, sorry about that, but I had to do it! The next chapter should be happier! **


	13. Chapter 13

Arianna huffed and puffed as she carried a heavy bag of chicken feed from the barn, to the chicken coop. Finally getting there, she put the bag down, and spread the feed out over the ground, carefully avoiding her sleeping area.

Arianna was not much liked by the Winters. They reminded her daily of how much they loathed her, (the bruises proved that) and how she came to be at the farm, they told her that her parents hated her and so the dumped her here, "and that's how we got stuck with you!" Mrs. Winters would always say. The only time that they 'liked' her and treated her as their daughter was when they had company over, or when they were going out.

The rest of the time, she wore a ratty old dress, wasn't allowed in the house, and took care of all the animals on the farm. She slept in the chicken coop, and bathed in the creek in the woods next to the property.

After feeding the chickens, she continued with the rest of her chores. She always made good time, and was normally done her chores by one o'clock if she started at five o'clock. She had to feed the animals, exercise the horses, clean the pens, move the grazing animals to a different field, and on top of that, she had school work to complete.

She didn't attend school like the other kids in the village did, but one day when she was in town picking up the groceries, a teacher at the elementary school, Mrs. Hutchenson had talked to her, and questioned her on why she hadn't seen her at the school. Arianna had shyly replied that she wasn't allowed to go to school, because she had to take care of the animals.

Mrs. Hutchenson was shocked, but she agreed to meet Arianna in town every week and eat lunch with her and teach her some things briefly over lunch. She had taught Arianna to read, to write, to do math, along with many other things. Each week Mrs. Hutchenson would bring Arianna a stack of worksheets to do during the week, and they would take them up together when they met in town.

This had been going on since Arianna was 6, and now she was 10, soon to be 11. In a little over a month Arianna was going to be 11, and then she was going to ask the Winters if she could attend school like the other kids. But she wasn't thinking about that now. Now she stood in front of the dog cages, a bucket of meat, in her tiny hands. Her dark hair pulled back into a pony tail, she just stood, and watched as the dogs growled and barked at her. She gulped as she moved towards the gate.

Opening the gate, she went in and quickly grabbed a piece of meat and threw it away from her, the dogs ran towards it, but soon came back to her. She went to grab another piece of meat, but she wasn't fast enough, and one of the dogs bit her ankle. She gasped and tried to shake the guard dog off her, but it held on, so grabbed a piece of meat, hit it in the head, the dog let go and she threw the rest of the meat out quickly and limped out of the pen, her ankle bleeding some.

She was going to clean it, when Mr. Winters came around, holding papers in his hands. He had found Arianna's school work. She looked up in fear at him as he came angirly towards her. He smacked her, the force sent her flying to the ground, her hand went up to her face, she was going to have a black eye later, she was sure.

"What is this!?" Mr. Winters demanded.

"It's school work." Arianna replied weakly.

"You don't go to school! Where did you get it?" He yelled, Arianna coward, and told him about Mrs. Hutchenson, hoping he would just finish getting angry with her. He hit her again, and while she was on the ground he gave her a few good kicks. Suddenly the bucket flew out of her hands and hit in the face, she gasped tears streaming down her face, he threw her school work at her to assess his face, and while he was distracted Arianna ran, the best she could.

Sniffling she quickly limped to the creek in the woods. Her safe haven. She sat on a rock, splashing water on her face. She gently touched her face where Mr. Winters had hit her, and quickly drew back her hand at the pain. Looking at her other injuries she decided that she would bruise and no more. She also decided that she had to stop seeing Mrs. Hutchenson. It killed her to do that but she knew she had to.

She looked at her ankle, and sighed. It was a bad bite, she started to rince it off in the cool water, and bit her lip as she felt it sting. She ripped a piece of her dress, and lifted her ankle out of the water. She wrapped it up in the rag, and then put her old ballet flat back on. She was just about to get up and go back to finish her chores when an owl swooped down and landed beside her.

Arianna jumped, and then she noticed what looked like a letter attached to the bird's leg. The owl stuck out its leg, and made an impatient noise. Looking at the owl, Arianna slowly untied the letter from its leg. When the owl saw the letter was free from it, it flew off into the forest. Arianna watched it leave and then looked at the letter in front of her.

_Arianna Winters _

_Little creak in the woods_

Arianna was shocked. How did the sender of the letter know that she was at her creak? Flipping the envelope over she saw a wax seal with a crest of some sort on it. Carefully breaking the seal, she opened the letter and read it over.

_**Hogwats School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry**_

_**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Arianna Winters,_

_We are pleased to inform you, that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July._

_Yours Sincerely_

_**Minerva McGonagall**_

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

Arianna re-read the letter several times. Was she really a witch? It would explain the odd things that kept happening to her. Like the bucket hitting Mr. Winters that morning. She wanted to go to this school, but she knew that she would never be allowed to go. So she put the letter back in the envelope and put into a deep pocket of her dress, and went back to the farm to continue her chores.

Minerva went over the list of those students who had yet to accept the letter from the school, sighing, she began to go and prove to those students that the letter wasn't a joke. Finally she came to the last student, Arianna Winters.

She apparated inside a forest next to the property the Winters lived on. Minerva began to walk up to the property, but stopped when she heard a soft singing. She turned towards the voice, and saw a small girl, with long, dark, wavy hair, much like Minerva's. The girl's hair was down, and she was bent over a small creak, wearing a ratty old dress, and shoes.

Minerva crept forwards, using her feline abilities to be unheard, that is until she stepped on a twig, which snapped under her foot. The girl gasped and spun around. Minerva looked up from the twig, and gasped herself. Looking at her was the little girl, with blue eyes that she had only ever seen on two people; her husband and her daughter.

Maybe, just maybe it could be her daughter. Minerva thought for a moment and then tried to brush the idea away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Minerva said after regaining her composure. She walked a little closer to the girl, who seemed to be frozen with fear.

"Do you know where I could find a Miss Arianna Winters?" She asked and watched as the girls eyes grew.

"I- I'm Arianna Winters." The girl said sheepishly.

"Oh! Miss Winters, my name is Professor McGonagall, I'm here on behalf of your reluctance to reply to your acceptance letter to Hogwarts." Minerva explained and Arianna's eyes grew even bigger.

"Y-your Professor McGonagall? The Deputy Headmistress?" Arianna asked.

"Yes, now would you bring me to your parents, so I can assure them that the letter is no joke?" Minerva responded, but Arianna didn't move.

"Mr. and Mrs. Winters don't know about the letter. And they can't know." Arianna piped up.

"And why not?" The professor asked sternly.

"Because they would never allow me to go." Arianna said quietly.

"Well if you let me explain to them, I'm sure they would be more than willing to let you come to the school." Minerva tried to say but Arianna shook her head.

"I'm not allowed to go to school. I have to take care of the animals." Arianna said looking at the ground. She reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing a badly bruised side of her face from a few days earlier.

At the slight gasp of the Professor, Arianna had remembered that her face was bruised, and she quickly untucked her hair, covering the bruises back up.

"Where did you get those!?" Minerva asked kneeling down to the girls level. Arianna turned away from her.

"I got kicked by a horse." She lied, hoping the professor would just leave it at that. Minerva was deeply concerned. She gently lifted a hand and turned the girl's head towards her, moving her hair, and looking more closely at the bruises that had a resemblance to a hand.

"Have you seen a doctor?" Minerva asked, "these look serious."

"No, it's fine, honest." Arianna tried to reassure her, not looking at Minerva. Minerva knew there was nothing she could do to change the girl's mind, but she felt an immense anger towards the girls parents. She knew they had hit her.

"Come, I'm going to take you somewhere safe." Minerva said standing and extending a hand towards the girl. At the girl's reluctance she continued.

"Don't worry about your parents, I will take care of them." She said firmly, but the girl shook her head.

"No, I can't. I, I have to take care of the animals." She said unsteadily and quickly, as if trying to convince herself that was the reason. Minerva knew that she was afraid to leave, because her 'parents' would beat her, and she understood her reluctance, and knelt back down in front of her.

"Arianna," She said gently, "I know you are afraid, but if you stay here any longer than you already have, you could get seriously injured. I do not agree with abusing a child, which I know is what your parents are doing to you." She said and Arianna slowly looked up to meet her gaze.

"So, you will come with me, where we will get those bruises checked out, and if your parents disagree, then they can deal with my Scottish temper, which I assure you, you do not want to see." Minerva continued giving the child a small smile.

Taking a deep shaky breath Arianna stood up and took her hand. As they walked along in the woods, Minerva noticed Arianna had a bit of a limp; she stopped and turned to her.

"Miss Winters, you're limping! Did your parents do this to you as well!?" She demanded, her temper starting to rise, seeing her wrapped ankle.

"Oh, no, they aren't my parents, and I was bit by one of the dogs, it's not a big deal, it happens a lot." She said as if it were nothing.

"Not your parents?" Minerva asked.

Arianna shook her head, "No, they are quick to remind me, they always tell me how my parents hated me, so much in fact that they left me on their door step." She said with a shrug. Minerva was shocked! How could someone say that to a child!? And being bitten by dogs happened a lot!? Minerva was in utter shock, at what and how Arianna said what she did.

"Professor, where are we going?" Arianna asked turning around, pulling Minerva out of her daze. Minerva smiled at her and walked up to where she was standing.

"Away from here." She said holding out her hand, Arianna, looked confused but took her hand. Suddenly she felt her self being pulled, as if through a tube. But just as fast as it had started, it had ended.

When Arianna could stand again, she looked up, her jaw dropping, in front of her, behind a set of large iron gates, was the biggest castle Arianna had ever seen.

**And, here it is, the next chapter! My updates have been quite fast! But this may be the last update for a while, as tomorrow I go to LONDON! :D I have to get up at O'Dark Stupid, but it's worth it! Hope you like it, not sure how I feel about this chapter but.. yeah. Already working on the next chapter so hopefully when I get back from London I can finish and put it up for you :) **


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Minerva said smiling at the girl's expression. The gates in front of them opened, and as they walked up towards the castle, Arianna's hand in Minerva's, she tried to take everything in around her, an expression of excitement and wonder on her face.

They soon entered the castle and made their way up to the hospital wing where Poppy was organizing and getting ready for the oncoming school year.

"Poppy!" Minerva called, helping Arianna to sit on a bed. Poppy heard her friend call her and came over to where she was standing, surprised to see she wasn't alone.

"Well hello, Minerva what can I do for you?" Poppy asked giving her friend a questioning look.

"Poppy, this is Arianna, Arianna Winters." Minerva replied and slightly pulled her away from Arianna.

"I need you to take a look at her, she is a student this year, I had to take her away from those awful muggles Poppy, they beat her, not to mention she has a nasty bite on her leg, from a dog." Minerva explained quietly, Poppy eyes grew wide, and she turned to look at the girl, her hair was in front of her face, but she could see her tied ankle quite clearly. Poppy nodded and headed over to Arianna.

"Arianna, this is Madam Pomfrey, our medi-witch, she is going to take a look at your bruises and your ankle. I dont want you to hide anything from her." She said sternly, "I have to go and talk with Professor Dumbledore, I will be back shortly." Arianna looked up at her, fear in her eyes.

"It's alright Arianna, Madam Pomfrey will help you, she's my friend." Minerva said giving the girl a comforting smile. Arianna nodded and as Poppy began to examine her, Minerva left the wing to go and speak with Albus.

"Albus?" Minerva called walking into his office, she found him sitting at his desk reading a letter. When he looked up to see his wife, he smiled and put down the letter.

"Did you inform Miss. Winters parents of their daughter's letter being no joke?" He asked curiously,

"No not exactly, Albus those muggles are not her parents! She told me, and I don't blame her, Albus they beat her! She gets sever injuries from tending to animals, and they do nothing for her! Not to mention how thin she is," Minerva said continuing on telling Albus how worried she was for this child.

"Where is she now?" Albus asked, his face serious, concern written on it as well.

"The hospital wing, with Poppy." Minerva replied, Albus stood and the two of them began to walk to the hospital wing.

"Albus there is something else," Minerva said and Albus stopped and turned to her curiously, "Albus, she has your eyes, your exact eye colour, you and our daughter are the only people I have ever seen with that colour. Albus, is it, do you think, is it possible that she could be our daughter?" Minerva asked rushed, hope in her eyes and on her face. Albus closed his eyes and sighed.

"No, Arianna is gone Minerva. It isn't her." He said and before Minerva could protest, he continued walking to the hospital wing.

"Miss Winters, is there anywhere else that you have been hurt?" Poppy asked softly, after finishing with the girls nastily bitten ankle, and rubbing a salve on her bruised face. Arianna looked down and mumbled something.

Poppy looked at her expectantly, "What was that?" She asked.

"Just some bruises, it's nothing really." She said not looking at the medi-witch. Poppy looked at her suspiciously, "well, let's see these bruises then." Arianna took a deep breath and pointed to her ribs.

Poppy lifted her dress, and gasped slightly at the site of Arianna's dark and purple bruised and possible broken ribs. Just as she gave Arianna a potion to help the broken bones, Albus and Minerva walked in.

Arianna finished the potion and handed it to Poppy, making a face letting everyone know just how foul it had tasted.

"Arianna, this is Professor Dumbledore." Minerva said kneeling down beside the bed. Arianna looked up at Albus, who was taken aback. Minerva had been right about the girl's eyes. But she couldn't be right about her being their daughter, 'the eye colour is simply a coincidence' he told himself.

"Hello." She said, and he smiled, as Madam Pomfrey carefully applied more salve onto her ribs.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Winters, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better, Madam Pomfrey is a fabulous doctor." She said, all the adults smiled.

"Indeed she is, my girl, the best I know, you are in very good hands. Would you excuse us for a moment?" He asked, and Arianna nodded. Albus led Minerva and Poppy into Poppy's office and shut the door behind them.

"How bad are her injuries Poppy?" He asked in a serious voice.

"Well, her ankle had a nasty bite, it will take a few days to heal, I assume she's been bitten before, judging by the scars she's got. She is covered in bruises, there isn't as much internal damage as I had expected, only slight bleeding thats been taken care of, the worst of her injuries other than the bite, seems to be a few broken ribs," She told him, "but I'd like to keep her here for at least a week for observation." She added.

Minerva looked highly concerned as she took all this in, looking at Albus, she watched him nod.

"She may stay until she is healed, but after that, we cannot keep her here, she needs to be with other children, and we have duties to perform before students get here. I would suggest the Weasley's, I shall give them a call later in the afternoon, Minerva, once her health is back up to par, would you take her to get her school things?" He asked and she nodded.

"Good, Poppy I expect reports on how our young student is doing." He said, Poppy nodded, saying 'of course', before Albus left the office, followed by the ladies.

Stopping at Arianna's bed he said, "Miss Winters, I wish you the best, I must be off, as the muggles would say get well soon." He said, smiling, Arianna smiled and thanked him before he left the hospital wing.

Arianna watched him leave with a confused face, "What are muggles?" She asked, Minerva smiled before answering.

"A muggle is what we call a person who doesn't have magic." She explained.

"I have some things I must finish up, I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would like me to leave so she can finish up with you. I'll be back later." Minerva said with a sympathetic smile. Arianna nodded and Minerva got up to leave.

"Minerva," Poppy called and Minerva stopped and turned about half way to the doors of the wing, "Minerva, I've never seen you act this way with a student, what's going on?" Poppy whispered to her friend.

Minerva sighed, "I don't know, it's just, look at her Poppy, her eyes, I just-"

"No, Minerva don't put yourself in that position," Poppy interrupted knowing exactly what her friend thought. Minerva's eyes grew watery and she looked away from her friend.

"I've things to finish up." She said in barely a whisper before turning and walking out of the hospital wing.

In the course of just over a week Arianna's health was much better, Professor McGonagall came to visit her every day, and told her that today the two would go out to Diagon Alley to buy her school supplies.

"But Professor, I haven't any money." Arianna told her worried. Minerva smiled.

"No need to worry about that, the school will pay for your things." Minerva explained and Arianna nodded. She liked Professor McGonagall very much and after hearing Minerva explain Transfiguration, and give a demonstration, Arianna was sure that was going to be her favourite subject.

Every day Arianna would look forward to Minerva's visits, the two would sit and talk about Hogwarts and what was going to happen in a few days, when Arianna would leave Hogwarts for the Weasley's. Minerva had explained that Professor Dumbledore thought it would be nice for her to spend the rest of the summer vacation with some kids her age, and how the other professors including herself, had much to do still before the students arrived on September the 1st.

"Alright, are you ready then?" Minerva asked, seeing Arianna nod, the pair made their way from the hospital wing, and out onto the grounds towards the gates. When they got outside the gates, Minerva instructed Arianna to grab a hold of her arm so they could apparate to the Leaky Cauldron.

Minerva made sure Arianna was alright, before they entered the busy wizard pub. They made their way throught the pub all the way to the back. Arianna was looking around amazed, she saw people drying cups with a towel and then the cup disappeared, there was a coffee pot floating around, and it would pour coffee into cups of those who wanted some, by itself!

Arianna was a bit confused when they came into a back room, and it turned out to be a dead end. She was just about to ask Professor McGonagall about it, when she pulled out her wand, and taped numerous bricks on the wall in a specific order.

Suddenly the wall began to open, revealing a street bustling with wizards, going from shop to shop.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley." Professor McGonagall said, smiling at Arianna's excited and shocked expression. Minerva took Arianna's hand, as it was an extremely busy day at Diagon Alley and she didn't want the girl to get lost. She couldn't help but think about her own daughter. How it would be her first year at Hogwarts, she wonderered if it would have been Minerva or Albus, or perhaps both that would take her to Diagon Alley. Minerva was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a tug of her hand.

"Where do we start Professor?" Arianna asked looking around at everything around her.

"Well, why don't we start at Flourish and Blotts, to get your books?" Minerva said with a smile, Arianna looked up at her excitedly as they entered the shop.

As they were looking around for the different books, Arianna surprised the professor, "I've never had a book. Well I've borrowed some, but I've never had one of my own." She said as she placed a text book she had found into the basket Minerva was holding.

"You've never had a book?" Minerva asked shocked.

"No, but I love to read. Especially fiction." She said as she went off to another shelf to look for her last text book. Minerva was surprised, '_had her parents never been kind enough to even get her a small book?' _ Minerva thought to herself, but then quickly remembered how it was that Arianna came to be shopping with her, and then it didn't seem all too surprising. Minerva decided to get Arianna a book. She moved over to the fiction section and picked one of her favourite wizarding fiction novels, it was rather large, but she was confident that Arianna would be able to get through it. She seemed like a very smart girl, despite her lack of schooling.

She hid the book under some of her text books, Minerva wanted it to be a surprise for Arianna, so she quickly moved away from the section before Arianna could come back with her last text book.

Finally Minerva paid for the books, effectively keeping her gift hidden from Arianna. Arianna bounced on her toes as the books were paid for, her own books; she finally had books of her own. _'I'm going to do a LOT of reading in the next few days' _she thought.

The two left Flourish and Blotts, and continued down the line of shops, the Apothecary for her Potion's ingredients, Potage's Cauldron shop for a cauldron, Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment for her scales, phials, charts and telescope, they had stopped at Madam Malkin's Robe shop to get her measurements for her new school robes, and they had also picked up a trunk to transport all her school things, and finally Ollivander's wand shop, Arianna had decided that she didn't need a pet, as she had no one to owl, and no money to buy its' food, that and she didn't want to use more of the school's money than she absolutely had to. Arianna vowed to herself that when she was old enough and had a job, she would pay back the school.

As they entered Ollivanders' Arianna got a bit scared. The shop was old and dark, the only light coming from candles. Minerva pushed her towards the desk, and hit the bell, thinking that Ollivander must be somewhere in the back of the shop.

Ollivander came sliding out from the back of a shop on a ladder, this made Arianna jump. Minerva noticed her jump and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hello Mr. Ollivander, Miss Winters here needs a wand." Minerva said, Arianna really noticing her Scottish accent for the first time.

"Ah Professor McGonagall, good to see you, fir, and dragon heartstring, nine and a half inches, stiff, if I remember correctly?" He asked, his voice kind.

Minerva nodded, "you are, as always." She said, with a smile, Ollivander smiled.

"Now, Miss, Winters was it?" He asked, seeing her nod nervously, he smiled and continued, "would you hold out your wand arm please?" He asked, seeing her confused face he elaborated.

"The hand you write with dear." Arianna gave an embarrassed smile before holding out her right arm. A tape measure popped up and started to take different measurements of her, from her arm to shoulder, head to toe, etc.

When it was done, Ollivander nodded and went to the back of the shop. When he came back, he was carrying a few different boxes. He set them down on the counter and opened one, handing Arianna the wand inside. Minerva stepped back a bit to give her some space as Ollivander described the wand.

"Oak, Unicorn tail, 8 inches, Stiff, give it a wave." He said, Arianna looked up at him and waved the wand, a vase behind Ollivander suddenly exploded. Arianna gasped and put the wand down very quickly.

"Nope, not that one." He said taking the wand and putting it back into the box, while opening another.

"I'm so sorry!" Arianna apologized, shocked that she had done that.

"It's quite alright, it happens every day, Just a bit of magic, and it will be fixed in no time, in fact I believe your professor here, broke a window with her first wand." He said comforting her a bit, Arianna looked back to Minerva who shook her head and blushed.

When she turned back around Ollivander handed her another wand, with a gulp, she took it and waved it. This time a stool broke. Arianna cringed and set the wand down, only to be given another. It seemed she had gone through hundreds of wands, and she was beginning to think that she would never find one, when Ollivander suddenly looked like a light bulb had gone off in his head.

He rushed off, and didn't come back for several minutes. When he came back, he was dusting off an extremely old wand box. Opening the box, he revealed a beautiful wand, it was a dark stained looking colour, and had a beautiful and intricate design carved into it. He pulled out the wand and handed it to Arianna.

The moment she touched the wand, she felt a sort of warmth, a sparkling orange light surrounded her. She was amazed. Suddenly the light faded, and Ollivander looked pleased.

"Elm, phoenix feather core, eight and a half inches and slightly springy. A very beautiful wand, and very excellent for charms and transfiguration." He said, Arianna looked very pleased, she looked to Professor McGonagall, achievement on her face, Minerva smiled and nodded to her. She paid Ollivander and the two left the shop. Arianna thanked him, and apologized again before leaving.

Minerva and Arianna went back to Madam Malkin's to pick up Arianna's finished first year school robes, before leaving Diagon Alley, and heading to the Burrow, where Arianna would be staying with the Weasley's for the remainder of the summer.

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! I got a bit of writers block about half way through, but changed some things and it was all good! Hopefully you like it! I go to Scotland on friday so i wont be able to update on the weekend but i can work on the next chapter, but also I am on a two week break off of school so hopefully i can get a few more updates! I love my school! ;) Hope you like it! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

After making sure that Arianna was alright from the trip, Minerva lead her to the front door of the burrow. Arianna was sad to leave Hogwarts, but she knew that she would be back in a weeks time for the rest of the year. It was just after that she didn't know where she would go. She certainly wasn't going back to the winters' farm.

Minerva knocked on the door. Arianna heard a woman yell _"Just a minute" _before the door opened. There stood a plumpish red headed woman, with a kind face and warm smile.

"Oh, hello Minerva, and you must be Arianna Winters." She said and Arianna nodded.

"Come in, come in!" She said and they followed her into the house. Arianna looked around, she had never seen a house this, homey, it was great. As she looked around, she noticed a pot stirring itself, a clock that showed where each member of the family was, and many other magical things going on all over the house.

"Our guest is here!" Mrs. Weasley yelled up the stairs, soon several footsteps could be heard making their way down the stairs. When everyone was down, Mrs. Weasley started the introductions, pointing to each family member and saying their name.

"This is Arianna Winters everyone! Arianna, this is my husband Arthur, my sons Fred, George, Percy and Ron, and my daughter Ginny." each said hello in their own way, whether nodding or actually saying hello. Arianna smiled and politely said hello to the large family.

"Thank you again Molly for taking her in on such short notice. Here are your school things Miss Winters, I will see most of you in a weeks time, enjoy the remainder of your holiday." She said before she left, back to Hogwarts.

After she left, Molly came up to Arianna, "you'll be staying in Ginny's room, she'll show you where, while Arthur takes up your trunk." Ginny smiled and began to go upstairs, Arianna followed. The house wasn't much bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. But Arianna didn't mind, in fact she quite liked it, it reminded her of the space she had in the chicken coop back at the Winters' farm, but here was more lively and welcoming.

"This is my room," Ginny said after climbing what seemed like 20 floors of stairs, "You'll be sleeping on this bed here." She said pointing to a cot near Ginny's bed. Arianna smiled and thanked her, a moment later Arthur came in with her trunk. She thanked him as well. She started to sort out her things, when she noticed a book that was piled amongst her text books, confused she picked it up, it was a wizarding fiction novel.

"Ginny is this yours?" She asked, holding the book up for Ginny to see, Ginny read the title and shook her head. Arianna opened the book and a small slip of paper fell from the pages. Picking it up she read,

_Arianna, _

_I thought you might like to read something other than your textbooks; it's a favourite of mine, so I hope you enjoy it as well._

_Professor McGonagall_

Arianna smiled, it was so generous of her Professor to buy her a book. It was the first gift she had ever gotten, she set the book beside her bed, and finished sorting her things, while keeping in mind the wonderful gift she had been given.

Just then Mrs. Weasley hollered up the stairs that dinner was ready. Ginny, Arianna and Arthur all made their way down to the kitchen to have a nice home cooked meal.

The week was passing quickly, and Arianna had made friends with the Weasley's very quickly. She learned that Ron was her age and would be going to Hogwarts with her this year, she also learned that he had two more older brothers who had moved out already.

The Weasley's had introduced her to many new things in the magical world, she was taught all about quiddich, and even had a go at it, though she wasn't very good. Ron taught her to play wizards chess, she wasn't good at that either, and after she had finished reading all of her textbooks for the year, and the book Professor McGonagall had given her, Ginny lent her _The Tales of Beetle The Bard _ a book of Wizarding Fairy Tales, which she finished very quickly.

As the week had progressed she continued to learn new things about magic. Traveling, performing, uses of magic and much more. Arianna was incrediable excited to learn more, and couldn't wait until she would be at a school with other witches and wizards, where she wasn't considered a freak.

The next morning she was woke as she usually did, with the sun, but today was different, Ginny was groggily standing from her bed.

"I was just going to wake you," She said tiredly, "Breakfast is in 20 minutes, you'd best get dressed, don't worry about your trunk, Dad will get it." She said before leaving the room for the restroom. Arianna smiled, she was going to Hogwarts today. She would see Professor McGonagall again, she had grown extremely attached to the Professor, she didn't exactly know why, but Professor McGonagall had really been the first person to care. Sure Mrs. Hutchinson cared, but not like Professor McGonagall did.

Arianna dressed for the day, and double checked her trunk before heading downstairs for a delicious breakfast. After everything was finished and cleaned up, the trunks were loaded into the rented cars, and the group was heading to King's Cross Station in London.

They arrived at the station at around 10:45 AM and rushed through the station to get to the platform.

"Packed with muggles of course!" Mrs. Weasley was saying, "Now what's the platform number?" She asked and Ginny piped up, "Nine and three-quarters, mum can't I go..."

"You're not old enough Ginny, now be quite, all right Percy you go first." Mrs. Weasley said, Arianna watched as Percy nodded and ran towards to the wall of platforms 9 and 10. She gasped as he ran through the wall instead of into it like she had expected. She watched again as Fred and George ran through as well, after tricking their mother of course, then a boy with messy black hair, and round, broken glasses in front of bright green eyes, approached Mrs. Weasley.

"Excuse me." He said shyly, Mrs. Weasley turned and smiled at him kindly.

"Hello dear, First time at Hogwarts? Ron and Arianna are new as well." She said pointing to Ron and Arianna.

"Yes." Said the boy, "The thing is- the thing is, I don't know how to-"

"How to get onto the platform?" She said kindly, and the boy nodded.

"Not to worry, I was just going to explain it to these two as well, all you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten, don't stop and don't be scared that you'll crash into it, that's very important, best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on now, before Ron and Arianna." She explained, Arianna could feel her heart start to race.

"Er- Okay." Said the boy as he ran towards the barrier and didn't crash into it.

"Alright, now Arianna, your turn." Mrs. Weasley said, Arianna looked up at her and took a deep breath and pushed her trolley in line with the barrier. Taking another deep breath she ran at the barrier, shutting her eyes just before she was going to crash into it. To her relief and surprise, she didn't crash into the wall. When she opened her eyes, she gasped, in front of her was a giant steam engine, _The Hogwarts Express _ written on it.

Ron and Mrs. Weasley came through behind her, and they all made their way towards the train. Their luggage was put onto the train, and Mrs. Weasley hugged them before pushing them towards the train.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley." Arianna said before getting on the train.

"For what dear?"

"For everything." She said, Mrs. Weasley smiled before hugging her again and pushing her onto the train telling her to have a good school year.

Arianna quickly caught up with Ron who was looking for a compartment they could sit in. They found one compartment that was empty with only one person in it. It was the boy, Arianna noticed, that Mrs. Weasley had helped through the platform.

"Do you mind? Everywhere else is full." Ron asked, the boy shook his head and the two sat down.

"I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasley, and this is Arianna Winters." Ron said motioning to himself and Arianna.

"Harry, Harry Potter." The boy said with a smile. Ron's face turned to shock.

"Bloody hell! Have you really got the, you know?" He asked pointing to his fore head. Harry laughed and nodded, then lifting his hair, he showed them a lightning bolt scar on the right side of his fore head above his eye.

"What happened?" Arianna asked, oblivious as to how the boy had gotten his scar. Harry was about to tell her when Ron beat him to it.

"What happened? He defeated you-know-who when he was one! That's what happened!" He said and Arianna looked confused.

"The darkest wizard of all time." He said, hoping to jog her memory, but when she still didn't seem to understand, he explained about you-know-who.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!" Arianna said as soon as Ron had finished his explanation.

"It's alright, what about your family? What are they like?" Harry asked her, her face grew sad.

"I don't know them. I was left on a muggle's doorstep when I was almost 2 months old. I've lived there ever since. I guess it's not so bad, I sleep in the chicken coop, with the chickens of course, and I take care of the animals, I like animals so it's not so bad." She said shrugging her shoulders.

"You sleep in a chicken coop?" Harry asked a little shocked. Arianna nodded as if it were nothing. Harry was about to say something else when a lady pushing a trolley of sweets came by the compartment.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" She asked. Ron pulled out a sandwich his mother had made for Arianna and himself and held it up.

"We're good thanks." He said, even though he didn't mean it. Harry took one look at those sandwiches and bought the whole cart of sweets.

"This is Scabbers," Ron said pointing to the rat on his lap, "Fred and George taught me a spell as to turn him yellow, want to see?" He continued.

"Yeah" Harry said enthusiastically, Ron cleared his throat, his wand out and pointing to Scabbers when a bushy haired girl walked into the compartment.

"Have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one." She asked looking around the compartment, her eyes rested on Ron.

"Are you going to do magic? Let's see then." She said, Ron cleared his throat again.

"_Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!" _ Ron chanted, waving his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers didn't even wake from his nap.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well it's not very good, is it? Of course, I've only tried a few simple spells for practice, but they've all worked for me. No one in my family is magic, so it was a surprise when I got my letter, but I was so pleased. And to think that we are going to the best school of witchcraft and wizardry there has ever been! I've learned all my course book by heart, I just hope it'll be enough, I'm Hermione by the way, Hermione Granger. And you are?" She asked after finishing her speech it seemed.

"Ron Weasley" Ron said proudly.

"Arianna, Arianna Winters." Arianna said shyly.

"Harry Potter" Harry said with a smile, Hermione's went wide with shock.

"Are you really!?" She asked.

"I've read all about you, I bought a few extra books for background reading. You're in a few of them." She replied, Arianna was sure that this girl was going to be the top of her class.

"Am I?" Harry asked feeling dazed.

"Didn't you know? If I were you I would have found out everything I could." She said, and continued to talk about the houses.

"Well I should be off, I'm going to look for Neville's toad for a bit before we arrive, I suggest you three put your robes on, I believe we'll be arriving soon." She said and Arianna stood up.

"I'll help you look for the toad." She said, quickly grabbing her school robes first.

"Thanks, I'll wait for you while you change." She said as she left the compartment and stood in the hallway.

"I'll you two later? It was nice meeting you Harry, bye Ron." She said with a smile, the two boys nodded and as the girls walked away they continued talking.

Arianna changed and then helped Hermione look around the train. The two became quick friends, Hermione having learned that Arianna came from the muggle world as well, and that she to had read all of her school books. Soon the train came to a slow stop in Hogsmede station and all the students got off.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" They heard a voice yell. All the first year students walked towards the voice. Arianna and Hermione's eyes widened, their jaws dropping when they saw who the voice belonged to. It was a huge man, who was talking with Harry and Ron, he seemed quite nice really.

Once he was sure all the first years were with him, he guided them towards a lake, where boats were waiting. He told the students to get into a boat, four students per boat. Arianna was sitting with Hermione and two other students who she didn't know. Hagrid was in a boat all by himself, and once everyone was in the boats, he yelled _Forwards _ and the boats propelled themselves forwards towards the beautiful castle that was in front of them.

Arianna smiled, even though her heart was pounding a mile per minute. The boats stopped at the shore line, and Hagrid led all the students up towards the castle and into the entrance hall, to Professor McGonagall.

"That's Professor McGonagall. She's very nice, she teaches Transfiguration." Arianna whispered to Hermione, as Professor McGonagall spotted her and winked.

"The Firs' Years, Professor." Hagrid said, McGonagall thanked him and he left through the door they had entered in. Professor McGonagall looked stern as she looked over the crowd of first years before she started to speak.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and has each produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House point, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of each year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." She explained her eyes resting on Neville's robes which were fastened wrong, then to a smudge of dirt on Ron's nose, and then to Harry who was nervously trying to flatten his hair.

"I shall return for you when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She said and walked off. Beside Arianna, Hermione was whispering all the spells she knew and what they did. Suddenly Arianna became quite nervous, and began reviewing her text books quietly in her head. Soon Professor McGonagall came back for the students, and brought them into the Great Hall.

As the walked in, many _ooh and awes _ could be heard, Arianna looked all around her with an amazed look upon her face, when her eyes came to the ceiling, she gasped.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read it, in _Hogwarts; A History._ " Hermione whispered. They walked to the end of the hall, where a stool was waiting, with a dirty old hat sitting on top of it. When the students were all assembled the hat began to sing.

Arianna gasped, then she smiled, she truly did love magic. When the hat was finished its song, the whole hall broke out in cheers and applause.

"When I call your name, you will sit on the stool, I will place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted. Abbott, Hannah." She began and Arianna soon realised that she would be near the end as her last name began with W.

As the sorting continued, Arianna's new friend Hermione went to Gryffindor, a mean boy named Draco Malfoy went to Slytherin, and Harry went to Gryffindor, now it was Ron's turn, he too went to Gryffindor. Arianna's heart pounded as she realised they were in the W's now.

"Winters, Arianna" Professor McGonagall called, her heart fluttering a bit, as the girl who she had become fond of nervously walked up to the stool. Arianna sat down and Professor McGonagall put the hat on her head.

"Ah, difficult, very difficult, a great mind, a family history of Gryffindor, your parents you know, they were both in Gryffindor, very talented." The hat said, Arianna gasped as it mentioned her parents, she desperately wanted to know more, but before she could say anything, the hat interrupted her thoughts.

"In due time, in due time. But where to put you. hmm. Better be... GRYFFINDOR!" The hat roared, Arianna smiled, she was in the same house as her friends, she ran over to the cheering table, and looked up at Professor McGonagall. She gave Arianna a smile before calling the next name. Looking up at the staff table, she noticed Professor Dumbledore smile and raise his goblet to her.

She turned towards her table and began talking with the other students as the sorting finished. After Professor Dumbledore said some odd words, mountains of food appeared on the table, and everyone began to enjoy the delicious feast.

**Hello everyone! I'm back from Scotland! It was fantastic, quite Harry Potter filled actually, I saw where Hagrid's house was built, up in the Highlands, I saw a private school that was used for some of the filming for the movies, and I went to the Elephant House, where JK Rowling began the Harry Potter series! They have really good Hot Chocolate actually! but yeah, I'm on break for the rest of this week, so hopefully I can get at least one more chapter up, maybe two before I go back to school, then the updates wont be as frequent because I'll be getting ready for exams and such, but I will try! Anyway hope you like this chapter!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

As the desserts disappeared Professor Dumbledore rose and the whole hall fell silent.

"Ahem, just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered I have a few start of term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." He said, his twinkling eyes looking directly at Fred and George.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Also Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." He concluded, Arianna's mouth dropped, Harry laughed for a minute but then realised that the professor was serious. Then as if to change the mood, Professor Dumbledore had the school sing the school song. Arianna laughed and tried her best to sing along.

"Arianna! Your voice is beautiful! You should join the choir, I'll talk to Professor Flitwick for you, he is in charge of choir." A third year Gryffindor named Jenna, told her, Arianna blushed, quietly thanking her and saying shyly that she would like that.

"Ah Music, a magic far beyond all we do here. Now bedtime, off you trot!" Professor Dumbledore said, Arianna chuckled and stood, walking with Hermione to the Gryffindor Dormitories.

Once they arrived at the portrait, Percy, who was a school prefect and head boy, told the fat lady the password, making sure all the Gryffindor's knew it as they went into the dormitory. When they were all inside, Percy directed the boys towards the boy's dormitories on the left and the girls to theirs on the right.

Arianna was pleased to find out that she would be in the same room with Hermione, as well as three other girls. The girls all changed and got into bed. The next day they would be receiving their schedules and classes would begin.

Arianna pulled out the book that Professor McGonagall had given her, and read a few chapters before she too went to sleep, excited for the morning.

Arianna woke to the sunrise as always, and got up and ready, being careful not to wake the other girls in her dorm. They halls were empty and silent as she made her way down to the great hall, trying to remember the way they had taken the night before. Luckily she remembered her way and was soon entering the Great Hall, noticing that she was the first student to arrive.

There were only a few teachers in the hall, including Professor Dumbledore, who was the only one who seemed to notice her. Quickly finding her seat, she took out her book, and began to read. She wasn't quite ready to eat yet, back at the farm, she would do all of her chores before she could even think about food. Usually she was given any scraps from the Winters, and any fruit that she could find in the forest.

She was so engrossed with her book that she didn't notice the clicking of heels coming down the hall a few minutes later.

"Miss Winters, you're here early." Minerva said to Arianna as she stopped beside her. Arianna jumped and looked up and Minerva and smiled.

"I'm quite the early bird." She replied.

"I see that." Minerva said with a wink, and began to walk towards the staff table, thinking how differently she acted around Arianna.

"Thank you!" Arianna called after her. Minerva turned and walked a few steps back to Arianna with a confused look.

"For?" She asked.

"The book. I never really got to thank you. I love it! I can hardly put it down." Minerva smiled, "good, you're very welcome." She said, and finally made her way to the staff table, sitting on Albus's right hand side.

"Good Morning, what was that about?" Albus inquired about the little chat Minerva and young Miss Winters had just shared.

"Can I not speak to one of my students without you asking what it was about?" She asked defensivly, "but for your information she was thanking me for a book I bought her." She said turning to the food in front of her and choosing some haggis to put on her plate.

"Minerva-" Albus began, "Albus she has never owned a book in her entire life. I thought it shocking and bought her a book, that's all." Minerva interrupted. Albus sighed. A large group of students had began to flood the hall, and Miss Granger emerged from the crowd and after spotting Arianna, she rushed over and sat next to her.

"Have you been here this whole time? We all woke up and you were gone!" Hermione said settling into her seat. Arianna nodded.

"I'm an early riser, I didn't want to wake any of you, I'm sorry if I did." she said.

"You didn't, we were just wondering where you went. I am so excited for classes to start!" Hermione said bouncing in her seat.

"Me too! I can hardly wait." Arianna agreed, putting her book back into her bag, then putting some food onto her plate and beginning to eat.

Minerva watched as the two girls chatted excitedly. She sighed, a look of sadness in her eyes. Suddenly felt a hand over top of hers, making her jump.

"Minerva, you must let this go. It isn't our Arianna. It can't be, that was much too long ago." He said his eyes, filled with pain, pleading her to let this go.

Minerva shook her head, "you don't know that." She said getting up from the table, and going down to hand schedules out to the students.

Classes had started and Arianna proved to be an excellent student, succeeding in all of her classes. Hermione and herself were the top of their year. During the first transfiguration lesson, both girls had managed to turn their matches into pointy, silver needles on their first try. Much to the displeasure of the other students, Ron especially.

And as the weeks passed she quickly became a favourite of many of the teachers, excluding Professor Snape.

Minerva had been looking for something that would prove to Albus that Arianna was their daughter, but with very little luck, though she refused to give up.

It was the day of Halloween and in between classes all of the students were chatting excitedly about the upcoming Halloween feast. Arianna and Hermione giggled as the entered the charms classroom and sat down.

Once class had started they learned that they would begin performing the levitating charm, Wingardium Leviosa. The students began casting the spell without much luck. Arianna was about to cast the spell when she heard Hermione stop her partner for the class, Ron.

"You're saying it wrong. It's LeviOsa not LeviosA." She corrected.

"If you're so smart then you do it!" Ron spat out frustrated. Hermione sighed and turned to her feather.

"Wingardium Leviosa." She spoke and the feather rose instantly.

"Oh Look here everyone! Miss Granger's done it! Oh well done!" Professor Flitwick squeaked. Hermione smiled and Ron looked angry. The class continued and Arianna, like Hermione got the feather to levitate of her first try.

After class the two were walking behind a group of boys consisting of Harry and Ron and a few others. Hermione was about to say something to Arianna when they heard her name coming from the group ahead of them.

"It's no wonder she hasn't got any friends!" Ron said, Hermione looked hurt and on the verge of tears. She ran ahead and purposely knocked into Ron as she went by.

Arianna quickly went after her stopping before she passed Ron.

"That was mean Ron. And besides I am her friend. But I don't know if I'm yours anymore." She said and turned to chase after Hermione.

She finally found her in the girls bathroom, locked in a stall. There were a few other girls around the stall with confused looks on their faces.

Arianna shooed them away and once they left she walked up to the locked stall.

"Hermione?" She called, no one replied but the girl in the stall quieted her sobs to listen.

"Don't listen to him, he doesn't know anything. And besides he was wrong you know. I'm your friend. And nothing will ever change that." Arianna said as the stall door unlocked. Arianna smiled and walked in to comfort her friend.

Minerva looked out over Gryffindor table, her eyes searching for two people, one more particularly than the other. After Pomona had informed her that two of the best pupils in her house had missed her class, Minerva had become worried.

She couldn't think of any reason why Arianna and Hermione would miss a class unless they were injured or severely sick. And as she scanned the table more times than she should have had to, her worry became far worse. The two weren't at the feast.

She was about to ask Albus if he knew anything when Professor Quirrel came running into the great hall in a panic.

"Troll!" He screamed, "troll, in the dungeon! Thought you'd want to know." He said an fell to the floor. Minerva looked at her husband worry etched all over her face about her missing cubs as the hall broke into chaos.

Albus silenced the hall and gave the prefects orders to take their house mates to their dormitory while to the teachers would follow him to the dungeons.

Harry and Ron were walking i the back if the group back to the dormitories when suddenly Harry remembered something, he stopped Ron and looked at him.

"Arianna and Hermione! They've been in the girls bathroom all afternoon, the don't know about the troll!" He said and the two rushed off to the girls bathroom, but it seemed the troll beat them to it.

Hermione was finally calmed down and the two were just exiting the bathroom stall when they noticed the troll.

The two stopped dead in their tracks, slowly craning their necks to look at it then ran back into the bathroom stall and ducked just as the troll swung its club.

They crouched further to the ground as they heard the wooden stalls being smashed into pieces that fell agains heir backs.

"Arianna, Hermione, move!" They heard someone cry, the two moved out of the way as the giant club came swinging again.

Hermione grabbed Arianna and then ran from the stalls and towards the sink, but not quick enough. The troll's club came down, smashing against Arianna's outstretched arm.

Arianna screamed as she heard the crack of her bone and then felt the pain. She fell to the floor and cradled her very broken arm, hot tears staining her cheeks.

The troll raised its arm to swing again, Arianna looked up fear painted on her face, but then Harry ran at the troll and grabbed hold of its club.

The troll went to swim his club again Harry let go and landed around its neck. The troll looked confused and swung around trying to see what was in him

Harry was desperately trying to hold on and because of that his wand went straight up the trolls nose.

It grabbed Harry from its neck and held him out. Then it began to swing at Harry.

"Do something!" He yelled to Ron

"What!?" He asked and Hermione reminded him of the levitating charm.

"Swish and flick!" She told him from her position under the sink. Ron nodded and cast the spell. The trolls club was kept in the air as he went to swing. This coagulated the trolls realty and it looked up as Ron released the spell and the club fell into its head.

It let go of Harry and began to sway, Harry backed up out of its way just as it came crashing to the ground. As the dust began to settle Hermione came out from under the sink and helped Arianna to her feet. after making sure she was okay other than the obvious broken arm, she turned to the boys.

'Is it dead?" She asked. Harry stood up and grabbed his wand from the troll's nose.

"I don't think so, just knocked out." He said and Arianna whimpered and held her injured arm closer to her, just then Professor McGonagall came running into the room followed by Professor Snape and Professor Quirrel.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the scene. Then she gasped and clutched her chest.

"What On earth were you thinking!? you're lucky you weren't killed! why were you not in your dormitory!?" She demanded looking at the children in front of her.

All four of them hesitated for a second before Harry began to speak but was interrupted by Hermione.

"They were looking for me Professor." Hermione said but before professor McGonagall could say anything Arianna spoke.

"Us. They were looking for us." She said and looked at Hermione.

"Miss Granger, Miss Winters! How could you think of doing such a thing?!" She asked looking shocked at the two.

"We read about them and thought we could handle it." Hermione said.

"Is this true Miss Winters?" Minerva asked Arianna and she nodded carefully avoiding eye contact with Minerva.

"If Harry and Ron hasn't come find us. We'd probably be dead." Arianna continued. Minerva's shock soon turned to anger.

"Five points will be taken from the two of you, for you absolute foolishness. As for you two," she looked at Harry and Ron, "five points will be given to each of you, for sheer dumb luck. Not many first years can defeat a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, you may go, the students are finishing the feasts in their dormitories." She said and they quickly left after one lay glance to Hermione and Arianna.

"Professors, if you dot mind heading off as well I would like a word with the girls privately." She said turning to Arianna and Hermione who gulped. After the other Los left Minerva led the girls into the hall and away from the unconscious troll.

"Now, the two of you had better not ever lie to me like that again. I will not tolerate it. Now I don't want to know how or why you came across that troll but if you ever knowingly put your lives in danger like that again you will have to answer to the headmaster. Is that understood?" Minerva asked sternly looking from Arianna to Hermione as the both nodded, Arianna still clutching her arm.

"Good, now Miss Granger, please head back to your dormitory while I escort Miss Winters to the infirmary." She said moving to Arianna Hermione nodded and quickly set off for the Gryffindor's quarters while Minerva and Arianna went off the Hospital wing.


	17. Chapter 17

Arianna was silent as she walked behind Minerva to the hospital wing. She felt horrible for lying about what happened, even if it was to protect someone else.

When they got to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey repaired her arm, but Arianna was to stay the night so Madam Pomfrey could make sure her arm began to heal properly.

The next morning Arianna woke in the hospital wing, all of her things that she would need for the upcoming day had been brought down for her.

She got ready for the day, being careful of her wrapped arm.

"Now, you'll need to keep that wrapped for a few days. During breakfast I'll bring a potion for you to drink to help the healing process." Madam Pomfrey told her. Arianna nodded and headed down to the great hall.

"Arianna! How's your arm?" Her minor asked her as she sat down next to her and across from Harry and Ron.

"A bit sore but much better." She said as Madam Pomfrey came into the hall and gave her a potion.

"There you are dear, now make sure you get something to eat as well." She told the girl upon seeing her empty plate. Arianna nodded and began to put some food onto her plate as Poppy went over to the staff table.

"How is Ariana?" Minerva immediately asked her friend as she took her seat.

"Fine, Minerva, a broken arm but nothing more. It should be fully healed in a day or two." Poppy replied, Minerva nodded and looked over to the Gryffindor table. She looked at every one of her cubs, but her eyes lingered a little longer on Arianna.

Classes that day had gone well, and everyone was asking Arianna about her arm. They had all heard about what happened with the troll, and wanted to know more.

She was heading back to the common room with Harry, Ron and Hermione after dinner that night when the staircase they were on began to move. The four of them gabbed hold of the railing so they wouldn't fall. When the staircase finally stopped the three stood normally again.

"Let's go before it moves again!" Ron said and they walked up the stairs and through the only door ahead of them.

Inside the room it was dark, and as they moved pillars with bowls of liquid lit up with fire.

"I know where we are! This is the third floor corridor! It's forbidden!" Hermione told them, panic rising in her voice. They all turned to leave when Mrs. Norris came through the door.

"It's Filtch's cat! Run!" Harry said pulling them all back deeper into the corridor.

The could hear Filtch coming into the corridor talking to his cat.

"Quick in there!" Harry whispered as he pointed to a door ahead of them.

"It's locked!" Ron panicked as he tried to open the door.

"Oh move over! Alohamora!" Hermione whispered and the door opened. The four of them rushed is and shut the door behind them, quietly listening as Filtch came closer and then left.

"Phew! Why would that door have been locked?" Ron asked once they were in the clear.

"For good reason." Harry said looking straight ahead. They all looked at Harry in confusion before looking in the direction he was looking.

Arianna froze in pure fear, standing in front of them was a giant, three headed dog. She remembered all those times at the Winters' farm when she had to feed the dogs, and all the scratches and bite marks she would have for weeks after. Dogs were definitely her worst fear.

The three headed dog began to growl and then bark, Ron, Hermione, and Harry screamed and ran from the room, but Arianna didn't move. She stood petrified, looking at the dog.

Hermione turned around just as they were about to shut the door and saw her standing there.

"Arianna!" She screamed, suddenly Harry lunged forward, grabbing her arm and pulled her backwards with such force they both fell to ground. When Arianna was out, Hermione and Ron ran, shut and locked the door.

"Are you alright?!" Hermione asked Arianna. She looked up at her three friends, she was still shaking and felt foolish for not moving away from it. So she stood and ran from the corridor.

She bolted down the stairs, not really watching where she was going. Suddenly it became clear to her that Harry, Ron and Hermione were her friends and that they wouldn't hit her for being afraid, nor would they make fun of her for it, as Arianna could remember, they were quite afraid themselves.

Arianna was so lost in thought about how stupid it was to have run, and how she could feel her arm bruising from where Harry had grabbed her, that she didn't notice a certain professor standing in the corridor, his back to her, until she ran into him and fell over.

She looked up and gasped. Black robes dramatically flew out as the professor turned around and Arianna met the black eyes of Professor Snape.

"Miss Winters," he said as she slowly stood up, "it is after hours, why are you not in your dormitory?" He asked, taking a step towards her.

Arianna's heart was racing, "I, um I, I'm lost sir." She said realizing that she didn't know exactly what part of the castle she was in. Severus narrowed his eyes, not sure whether to believe her or not.

"Well, let me escort you to my office where you will await your head if house to come and get you," he said as he created a Patronus to call Minerva to his office, "oh, and 50 points from Gryffindor for being out past curfew." He said as they began to walk towards his office.

"Do you think she's alright?" Hermione asked Ron and Harry as they sat in the common room, "I didn't see which way she ran off to, I thought maybe she would just come back here... You don't think she got hurt do you?" She continued with concern. Ron shrugged.

"I'm sure she is alright, she knows just about every spell thats ever going ti be taught to us this year!" Harry said and they a went up the stairs.

"What do they think they're doing? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school!" Ron said as the got to the girls dormitories.

"You don't use your eyes do you!? Didn't you see what it was standing on!?"

"I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads! Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "it was standing on a trap door. It wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something."

"Guarding something?" Harry said trying to think of what it could possibly be guarding.

"That's right. now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed, before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed or worse expelled!" Hermione said and walked into her room.

"She needs to sort out her priorities!" Ron said and he and Harry went into their room.

Minerva had just finished her patrol duties and was all set for bed when a Patronus came through the wall and stood in front of her.

"Minerva, one of your cubs is out of bed. Lost, she says. Would you come and escort her back to her dorms." It was Severus's voice, Minerva sighed. 'Which one is it this time?' She said to herself frustratedly as she put on her dressing gown and headed to Severus's office.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door to Severus's office. Arianna jumped as he got up to answer it, Severus saw this, but wasn't confused. Minerva had told him, as well as the rest of the staff about her past when she first came to Hogwarts before school had started.

He decided to make his movements slower, so as not to scare the girl. Deep down, though he would never show it, he had a soft spot for the girl, having a difficult past himself, he sympathized with her.

"Which one is it this time Severus?" Minerva asked impatiently as he opened the door.

"Look for yourself." Severus said opening the door for Minerva to enter. Arianna didn't turn to look at Minerva, she knew her professor would be disappointed with her and she didn't want to see the look on her face when she realized which student it was.

"Miss Winters?" She asked shocked, "what is the meaning of this?" She asked. Arianna, who was still shaking slowly turned around, but looked at the floor.

"I, I got lost Professor." She said hoping Minerva wouldn't see the lie, but she did.

"Ah well then. If you will come with me Miss Winters I will escort you back to your dormitory." She said, shocking Arianna. She nodded and stood and walked towards the door.

"Thank you Severus." Minerva said as she left the office.

"Miss Winters, we're going to stop at my office to talk about the real reason that you are out past curfew." Was all Minerva said until they arrived in her office.

Minerva motioned for Arianna to sit down before she sat down in the chair behind her desk.

"So, would you like to explain why you were out of bed? And then why you lied to me, again." Minerva asked softly, Arianna gulped.

"Um," she began but stopped and sighed. She though it would just be better to explain what happened than to lie to her again, since she could practically see right through any lie that was ever told.

"I was headed back to my dormitory, when the stair case moved, while I was on it. When it stopped I ran off so it wouldn't move again. And I ran into the only door on the corridor," she began, using the word I, to make it look like it was her alone, so her friends wouldn't get into trouble.

"At the time, I didn't realize it, but it was the third floor corridor. And when I did finally realize it, I went to leave right away, I swear it, but then Mrs. Norris came into the corridor and I know that Mr. Filtch wouldn't be far behind, and I really didn't want to get into trouble so I ran to the first door, and unlocked it and slipped inside." She said, tears coming to her eyes, remembering every detail and almost coming to her worst fear. She began to shake.

Minerva saw this and she knew Arianna was telling her the truth and she felt her heart drop at the girls reaction, but let her continue.

"I waited until I was sure Mr. Filtch was gone, and then I realized wh-wh-why the d-door w-was locked," she stuttered, her shaking increasing, Minerva was about to tell her she didn't have to say anymore but Arianna continued.

"There was a giant three headed dog in the room and after, after," Arianna tried to get out but tears came running down her face.

"But after what the Winter's did to you, you're terrified of dogs, I understand, you must have very scared." Minerva said gently and she stood to comfort the crying girl.

She knelt in front of the chair and rubbed Arianna'a arm.

"It's alright, you don't have to say anymore, it was an accident that you went to the third floor corridor. I think Professor Snape has taken enough points from our house, and I think you have suffered from the experience enough." She said slowly pulling her into a hug rubbing circles on her back.

"Why don't you stay here tonight? I'll have a house elf make up the guest room. Is that alright?" She asked and Arianna nodded. Minerva pulled out of the hug and held Arianna out at arms length.

As she was wiping her eyes, Minerva saw Arianna'a locket and her mouth dropped.

"Where did you get that?" She asked quite harshly, Arianna looked at her confusion and shock on her face, "it, it's very pretty." Minerva recovered.

"Thank you, I've always had it, I think my parents, whoever they are gave it to me." She said through sniffles. Suddenly Minerva knew, for sure that this Arianna was her daughter.

Minerva smiled, she felt tears welling up in her eyes, "lets get you set up in the guest room, it's late and you have classes tomorrow." Arianna nodded and leaned into Minerva as they walked into her quarters.

She tucked Arianna in and was about to leave the room when a small voice stopped her.

"Professor," Arianna called quietly, and Minerva turned around.

"W-would you stay, until I fall asleep?" She asked shyly.

Minerva smiled and nodded, "of course I will." She said and sat down beside Arianna and rubbed her back.

She smiled as she watched Arianna sleep. She had her daughter back, whether Albus accepted it or not. Minerva heart was filled with joy, as a year of happiness fell down her cheek.

That night Minerva didn't sleep. She sat beside Arianna all night watching her frail little body move with each breath.

**Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter took SO long to get up! I have it written on another site so I had it, but I couldn't upload it because my computer broke! So I got my dad's and I hadn't figured it out! And I moved, so getting ready for that didn't leave my much time to write. But it's here now, and I have the next chapter finished, so I might post that today as well. Hope you like it :)**


	18. Chapter 18

The next day at breakfast, Harry, Ron and Hermione filled Arianna in about what Hermione had told the boys the night before.

"What could it be guarding?" She asked, the three shrugged their shoulders, telling her they didn't have a clue.

"But that's what we need to find out!" Hermione said just as the mail arrived. Harry looked in shock as he saw Hedwig flying with a rather large package, she flew off after dropping it infront of Harry.

"But I never get mail!" Harry said in shock as he looked at the package.

"well don't make us wait, open it!" Ron said eagerly, and the four of them helped rip open the package to find a Nimbus 2000, the latest model of broomstick! They all gasped as they looked at the beautiful broom stick.

"But who?" Harry asked and looked around, finally resting his eyes upon Professor McGonagall, Arianna, Hermione, and Ron all followed his gaze and saw their head of house, smiling at them, while petting Hedwig.

"Of course! She got you a broom for the quiditch team Harry!" Hermione explained.

The next week was the first Quiditch game of the season, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. The game was going quite well, and Arianna was laughing at Jordan's commentary and Professor McGonagall's scoldings when he became biased towards his house team.

But then suddenly something funny began to happen to Harry's broom. It began to jolt and rock, as if trying to make him fall. Arianna sat on the edge of her seat, not knowing what to do. But luckily Hermione spotted Snape muttering something, and not moving his eyes off of Harry. So she ran over and set his cape on fire. When Snape noticed his robes were on fire and began to put them out, Harry's broom went back to normal and he continued to play the game. In the end Harry caught the snitch, in his mouth! And won the game for Gryffindor!

After the game the four of them went to see Hagrid, who congragulated Harry on the game. They began to talk about how Hermione noticed it was Snape who was cursing Harry's broom.

"Nonsense! Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom!?" Hagrid asked shocked that they would even think such a thing.

"Who knows! Why was he trying to get past that three headed dog on Halloween!?" Harry retorted.

"Who told you about Fluffy!?" A voice suddenly said from behind them, making all four of them jump.

"That thing has a name!?" Ron asked shocked, after realizing it was only Hagrid.

" 'Course he's got a name, he's mine! I bought him off an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year, then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"

"Yes?" Harry asked hoping Hagrid would tell them what 'Fluffy' was guarding.

"I shouldn't have said that. No more questions! Don't ask any more questions! That's top secret, that is!" Hagrid told them, scolding himself.

"But Hagrid! Whatever Fluffy's guarding Snape's trying to steal it!" Harry said, trying to reason with Hagrid to get him to tell them what Fluffy was guarding.

"Codswallop! Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher!"

"Hogwarts teacher or not! I know a spell when I see one! I've read all about them You've got to keep eye contact and Snape wasn't blinking!" Hermione said.

"Now you listen to me! All four of you! You're meddling in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous! What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel." He sternly told them, then realizing what he had said.

"Nicholas Flamel?" Arianna asked not knowing who he was.

"I shouldn't have said that! I should not have said that!" Hagrid said scolding himself, walking off before the four of them could ask anymore questions.

"Who's Nicholas Flamel?" Arianna asked them, but they all shook their heads.

"I don't know." Hermione said.

Soon it was Christmas time and everyone was preparing. Hagrid had brought in the Christmas trees and Professor Flitwick was putting the decoration on them. The students who were going home for Christmas were packing their things up and getting ready to leave the next week.

Professor McGonagall was going around the Gryffindor table that morning at breakfast asking who was going home and who would be staying for Christmas.

"Mr. Potter, will you be going home to your relatives for Christmas this year?" Minerva asked Harry as she came up to the group of four sitting together.

"No, Professor, I'm staying" he answered looking up from his game of wizards chess with Ron, Minerva nodded and looked to Ron.

"Me too Professor, mum and dad have gone to Romania to visit Charlie." He told them and Minerva then assumed all the Weasly children would be staying.

"I'm going home to see my parents." Hermione told her excitedly, Minerva smiled and nodded as she wrote it down.

"And what about you Miss Winters, will you be staying or leaving?" Minerva, though she was sure she knew the answer.

"I'm staying Professor." Arianna said turning towards Minerva, as she did so Minerva got a glimpse of her locket again. Trying to hide her reaction, she nodded and moved on to the next set of students.

"That's totally barbaric!" Hermione said watching the game of Wizard's Chess, after McGonagall had left.

"That's Wizard's Chess! I see you've packed." Ron said noticing her bags.

"See you haven't" said Hermione, noticing his lack of bags.

"Change of plans, my parents have decided to go to Romania to visit my brother Charlie, he's studying Dragons there." Ron told them.

"Good, you can help Harry and Arianna. They will be going to the library to look up information about Nicholas Flamel." She said matter of factly.

"We've looked a thousand times!" Ron said not wanting to be in the library anymore than he had to.

"Not in the restricted section." Arianna informed them.

"Exactly! Happy Christmas." Hermione said as she left the hall.

"I think we have had a bad influence on them!" Ron told Harry. Arianna laughed and rolled her eyes.

Albus was back today and Minerva was going to tell him about Arianna. She said the password to the gargoyle, who jumped aside to let her pass.

She knocked on the door to his office and after an 'enter' was heard she opened the door and walked through.

"Minerva." Albus said and stood up meeting his wife. He kissed her hello and embraced her with a hug. They sat down on the couch in front of the fire place and Minerva leaned into her husband.

"I missed you." She said.

"I missed you too, but I'm back, for now at least. How have you been?" He asked, knowing he hadn't been there for her on the anniversary of their daughters kidnapping.

"Albus, it's her! Arianna Winters is our Arianna!" Minerva began and Albus shook his head and sighed.

"Minerva please, we've been over this." He said but Minerva shook her head.

"No Albus it really is her! She has the locket! I've seen it!" Minerva told him and he suddenly looked at her shock in his eyes.

"I asked her where she had gotten it from and she said she had had it ever since she could remember, Albus, it's her." She said smiling, tears coming to her eyes.

Albus knew Minerva wouldn't make something like this up. He also had been doing some digging and found that Voldemort couldn't have gotten his hands on their daughter, he had disappeared at the same time that she was kidnapped, so there was a chance, the deatheaters probably wouldn't want anything to do with the girl once their master was gone and all it took was one person with a heart, not to kill her.

Though he still wasn't 100% sure himself that it was his daughter, he believed Minerva.

"You mustn't tell her yet Minerva." Albus said and Minerva looked at him confused.

At Minerva's confused look he continued, "I don't want her in any danger. I don't trust Professor Quirell. If she knows then she could be in great danger." He explained and Minerva nodded in understanding.

After she left his office, Albus went down to see Poppy, and then Severus.

Severus opened the door to his chambers to find the headmaster standing on the other side of it.

"Good evening Severus, I wonder if I might come in for a moment?" He asked and after Severus moved aside Albus entered the chamber.

"What can I do for you Albus?" Severus asked standing behind Albus who was facing the fire place.

"I am in need of a potion. An identity potion." He said turing around.

Seeing his confusion Albus continued, "You see there is a chance that a student here is my daughter, Minerva greatly believes this, but I on the other hand am not so sure. Of course i would love for this girl to be my child, but if it isn't, I don't want the pain of getting my hopes up and it not being her." He said not saying which student he was talking about. Severus nodded, a look of thought in his face.

"If I may, who is this student?" He asked carefully.

"Of course, the child thought to be our daughter is Arianna Winters." He said, Severus nodded slowly, remembering the scared child in his potions class.

"Will you make the potion?", Albus asked, "if not for Minerva and I, then for Miss Winters, she deserves to know who her parents are." Albus finished and Severus nodded.

"Good, now I understand that blood is needed for the potion, so I have brought you a vile of both Minerva's and my own blood, and also Miss Winters blood, kindly given by Madam Pomfrey, from when Miss Winters was here in the summer." Albus said giving him the three vials.

"The potion should be ready within three days." Severus told him.

"Thank you Severus." Albus said and left the chambers.

**Here is the next chapter! Chapter 19 is in the works! Sorry this one is kinda short, but hope you enjoy anyway! **


	19. Chapter 19

The Christmas holidays had started, Hermione was home spending it with her parents, and Harry, Ron and Arianna were spending the holiday at Hogwarts.

Arianna had spent her holidays mostly reading, owling Hermione, and trying to find information about Nicholas Flamel, but with no luck, and having no idea on how to get into the restricted section of the library.

She woke up the next morning, on Christmas morning alone in her dormitory. All the other girls had gone home for Christmas. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she sat up in her four poster bed. She gasped as she saw a pile of gifts sitting at the end of her bed. She hadn't really ever gotten gifts before. Mr. and Mrs. Winters would never had gotten her a gift, she sometimes got a small treat from Mrs. Hutchenson, the teacher she would often meet when she went into town, when she was still with the Winters.

Cautiously reaching to one gift she read the tag, seeing that it had her name on it, she took a breath and slowly began to tear the paper off. Inside was a knitted sweater with the letter A stitched into it, and a note attached.

_Happy Christmas Arianna!_

_I hope you like it and that it keeps you warm. Enjoy the rest of your first year at Hogwarts! _

_Hoping to see you soon,_

_Mrs. Weasley._

Arianna smiled and put on the sweater. She reached over to continue opening her gifts. She had gotten an assortment of candies from Ron, a new muggle book from Hermione, and a new quill from Harry. She was about to get out of her bed and get ready for the day when she saw an envelope sitting on her bed. Opening it, she found a note.

_Dear Miss Winters, _

_Happy Christmas, come to my office toady after breakfast._

_Professor McGonagall_

Suddenly Arianna was worried. What if the Professor knew that she was trying to find information about Nicholas Flamel, and about what Fluffy was guarding. 'But then again, maybe she doesn't, and maybe I could ask her if I could go into the restricted section.' she thought, trying to muster the courage to actually do that.

After getting ready for the day she headed down to the common room to go through the portrait hole, and down to the Great Hall for breakfast. As she came into the common room she saw Harry and Ron entering it as well.

"Happy Christmas Arianna" Harry said as he saw her.

"Happy Christmas!" She replied, "Thank you both for my gifts, I love them! I'm sorry I didn't get you anything." She said

"It's alright!"Harry said

"We understand!" Ron said the two boys flashing her a smile.

"Harry! Tell her what you got!" Ron said excitedly and Arianna looked at him curiosity in her eyes.

Harry looked around before telling her, "I got an invisibility cloak." Arianna's was shocked! She had read about them, but she never thought she would actually be able to see one, then it came to her!

"Harry! We could use your cloak to get into the restricted section in the library! If you don't mind of course."

"That's a really good idea!" Harry said and the three made their way to the Great Hall.

"Hey! Arianna!" Elizabeth, a third year student came running up to her.

"Hello!" She greeted as the third year stopped running.

"So I finally remembered to talk to Professor Flitwick and he said that you could join the choir if you want to." She said, a huge smile on her face.

"A voice like that would really help us to sound better!" She added seeing Arianna looking unsure.

"Well um I guess I'll think about it." she said.

"Fab! When you decide you can let Professor Flitwick or myself know!" Elizabeth said and then going off to enjoy her food.

"I didn't know you could sing!" Ron commented after Elizabeth had gone.

"Me either!" Arianna exclaimed and then dug into her breakfast.

After telling the boys she would meet up with them later, Arianna set off towards Professor McGonagall's office. Once she arrived she knocked on the door and nervously waited for it to open.

Minerva looked up to the door of her office as she heard a soft knock. Smiling she stood and answered the door.

"Good morning Miss Winters, come in." She said moving aside for her to enter. She motioned for her to sit down in the chair across from her desk. Minerva chuckled as she saw the nervous look on Arianna's face.

"You look guilty of something." She told her, Arianna's head shot up to look at her shock on her face.

"Am I in trouble?" She asked quietly.

"Have you done something wrong?" Minerva asked curious as to why Arianna would think she was in trouble.

Arianna thought for a moment, 'technically, reading in the library wasn't against the rules,' she thought, "no." She answered aloud.

"Then no, you aren't in trouble. I asked you here, because I have a gift for you." Minerva said, she couldn't help the smile that came to her lips as she saw Arianna's face. Minerva rose and went to the other side of her office and lifted the gift and put it onto her desk in front of Arianna.

Arianna was absolutely gobsmacked at the large gift sitting in front of her. Minerva chuckled and urged her to lift the cover off of it. Arianna's gobsmacked expression only grew when she lifted the cover. There on Minerva's desk was a cage and in the cage was a beautiful Barn Owl.

"This is for me?" Arianna asked not believing it!

"Yes! I noticed you had been owling Miss Granger as of late, using owl, I thought you might like one of your own." Minerva commented.

"I couldn't possibly accept this!" Arianna said still looking at the owl in shock.

"Oh I insist, and besides you are going to need to it keep in touch with your friends over the summer." Minerva said, trying not to mention anything about Arianna being her daughter.

"Thank you so much!" Arianna said surprising Minerva with a hug.

"You're welcome. Now go on! I expect Mr's Potter and Weasley are waiting for you." Minerva said and Arianna thanked her again before leaving with her new owl.

"She gave you an owl!?" Ron nearly screeched, his eyes wide, "Bloody hell, first she gives Harry a broom stick, and now you an owl! I wish she liked me as much as she likes you two!"

Ignoring the last statement Arianna continued, "Yes but, I don't really know why she gave it to me, I mean she said that it was so I wouldn't have to use Harry's owl anymore, but I feel like that wasn't the whole reason." Arianna said looking at her owl.

"Have you named it yet?" Harry asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes, I've decided to name her Moon." Arianna said looking at Moon.

"Why'd you name her that?" Ron asked, obviously thinking it wasn't a very good name.

"Because her face reminds me of the moon." Arianna said matter of factly, Ron laughed and Arianna jokingly smacked him.

Later that night, Arianna waited in the common room for Harry to come back from the restricted section. She had decided that she couldn't go. She didn't want to get caught and disappoint Professor McGonagall, especially after she had given Arianna such a beautiful gift.

Suddenly the portrait hole opened, but it seemed as if no one came through. Then Harry appeared holding a cloak in his hand.

'Is that your invisibility cloak?!" Arianna asked, having not seen it yet. Harry nodded, he seemed excited about something.

"What is it?" Arianna asked seeing him practically bursting with excitement!

"My parents! I saw them!" Seeing Arianna's quizzical look he continued, "yes I know they're dead, but I saw them! In this mirror in an empty class room! Let me go get Ron and then I will show you!" He said running up to his dormitory.

Coming back down with Ron, he threw the invisibility cloak over the three of them and led them to the room with the mirror.

"There, those are my parents do you seem them?" He asked pulling Ron up to the mirror.

"I only see us Harry."

"Look in properly, stand there." Harry said and moved away from the mirror, when Ron's face lit up Harry smiled.

"There, you see them don't you, that-"

"I see me! Only I'm Head Boy! And I'm holding the Quiditch Cup! And bloody hell! I'm Quiditch captain too! I look good! Do you think this mirror tells the future!?" He asked, and Harry's face sunk.

"How can it, my parents are dead." He said.

"What do you see Arianna?" Ron asked trying to change the subject, Ron moved out of the way and Arianna came forward and stood in front of the mirror. She looked confused at the mirror, not sure what what she saw meant.

"Well, what is it?" Harry asked.

"I-I don't really know." She answered. After they had finished looking into the mirror, the three went back up to the Gryffindor common room and up to bed. But Arianna couldn't sleep. She couldn't but try to decipher what she saw in the mirror.

The Headmaster was sitting at his desk going through some paper work when there was a knock at his door.

"Enter." he called not looking up from his papers. Only when the visitor was standing in front of his desk did he look up.

"Ah, Severus. What can I do for you this evening." He asked with a smile.

"The potion you asked me to brew is finished." Severus said, Albus's smile faded as we waited for Severus to continue.

"It seems that Miss Winters is indeed your daughter. Or should I saw Miss Dumbledore? Congratulations." He said. Albus let out a breath. Minerva was right. It was their daughter, they had her back.

"Thank you Severus, please excuse me, I must inform Minerva." He said his smile returning, Severus nodded as happy for them as he could be.

Minerva was sitting on her couch, staring at the fire, her mind wondering. She looked to the door as it opened and smiled as Albus came through it.

"I thought you had work to do?" She asked standing from the couch.

"I do, but I need to tell you something, it couldn't wait until morning." he said, suddenly Minerva became worried. What could he possible have to tell her that was so important? She sat back down and looked at him as he bent down in front of her.

"Minerva," He said his eyes twinkling, and smiling, "I asked Severus to brew an identity potion, to make sure that Miss Winters was our daughter, I wanted to be certain, because if it wasn't her, I don't know if I would be able to take it if it wasn't really her." Albus begun, Minerva's heart began to race, her jaw dropped a little, she wasn't sure that she wanted to hear what the results were, but needing to know at the same time.

"Severus just came to me with the results. And it's her, Minerva, it's our Arianna!" He said with a smile, tears coming to his eyes, Minerva brought her hands up to her mouth, tears already falling down her cheeks, a huge smile on her face. She hugged Albus, not wanting to let go, all the sadness of losing their child had seemingly disappeared.

A few nights later, Arianna crept out of bed and out of the common room, back to the room with the mirror. She sat in front of it trying to make sense of it. Why was she seeing them? They stood in the mirror, looking happily down at her confused face. Sighing she went to stand.

"Back again Arianna?" A voice said suddenly behind her, making her sit back down, turning she saw it was Professor Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry Professor Dumbledore, I know I'm out past curfew, I'm so-" The words began to spill from her mouth trying to come up with something to tell the Headmaster, but he held up a hand stopping her dead in her tracks.

"It is alright my dear. I understand why you would come out to see this mirror. I trust by now you know what it does?" He asked and Arianna looked at the ground and shook her head.

"I don't understand it at all Professor, I don't understand what it means." She told him, and he nodded his head.

"This is the Mirror of Erised. It shows the deepest desires of our hearts." He explained, Arianna only becoming more confused.

"Look into the mirror. what do you see?" He asked seeing her bewildered expression. Arianna turned around and looked into the mirror yet again, trying to decide whether or not she should tell the Professor who she actually sees, or if she should be vague about it.

Choosing the latter she spoke, "I see two people, two very kind people, a man and a woman." She said hoping he wouldn't make her go into detail.

"Perhaps your parents? You who have known you real parents, could see them in this mirror if they are what your heart deeply desires." He said knowing exactly what she saw in the mirror.

"It is what I want most in the world, my parents," She told him continuing to look in the mirror still a bit confused but then suddenly her mind made a great connection, "But Professor, that would mean tha-" She began and turned around, but no one was there, the Professor had simply vanished.

"That would mean that you and Professor McGonagall are my parents." She finished to no one.

**Hey everyone! Thank you to my lovely reviewers, it means a lot, love the reviews and the suggestions and such! Here is the next chapter! Again already working on the next one! :) Sorry this is fairly short, I'll try to make the next chapters longer, enjoy! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

Arianna decided to keep what she had learned a few nights ago to herself. She didn't know if Professor Dumbledore or McGonagall knew about their relationship either, so she didn't want to mention it and ruin the rest of her school year.

But if Professor McGonagall did know, it certainly explained why she would get Arianna an owl for a Christmas present. Her mind was so full of possibilities and worries she began to feel overwhelmed. Taking a deep breath she decided not to think about any of that today, Hermione was coming back from her holiday, and Arianna couldn't wait to see her!

Later that day the four of them were sitting at the Gryffindor table, Ron was sorting his Chocolate Frog cards, the girls and Harry all watching him as they made small talk.

"Ugh, Dumbledore again!" Ron said tossing it to the side, Harry picked up the card and began to read the back casually.

"Look at you playing with your cards." Hermione said and her and Arianna giggled.

"What?" He asked slightly offended.

"It's pathetic." Hermione said, Ron was going to say something back to her when Harry errupted in excitment.

"I found him! Nicholas Flamel! I found him!" He practically burst! Ron, Hermione, and Arianna's heads snapped towards him, their mouths hanging open.

"Look, here read the card!" Harry said handing the card to Ron. Ron look confused at the card and began to read aloud,

"Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularily famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindewald in 1945, for the discovery of twelve uses of dragons blood, and his work on Alchemy with his partner Nicholas Flamel!" Ron read, the energy in his voice increasing as he read the name.

Suddenly Hermione's face lit up, "Of course! Follow me! Come on!" Hermione said rushing out of the great hall, Arianna, Harry and Ron all looked at her before running to catch up with her. They found themselves in the library, sitting at a table while Hermione went and got a very large book.

"I had you looking in the wrong section! How could I be so stupid! I'd checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading." She said slamming the large, heavy book down on the table.

"This is light!?" Ron asked earning him a glare from Hermione and Arianna. Hermione opened the book and searched for the right page, "Here it is! 'Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosoper stone!'" Hermione read.

"Oh my goodness! I remember you telling me about that! How could we not have already thought of this!" Arianna commenting mentally slapping herself.

"The what?" Harry and Ron said in unison, Hermione and Arianna rolled their eyes.

"Honestly, don't you two read?" Hermione asked, "The Philosopher stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It will transform any metal into pure gold and produce the Elixir of Life which will make the drinker immortal." She read to them.

"Immortal!?" Ron ask quite shocked

"It means you'll never die." Hermione told him casually

"I know what it means!" Ron said defesively, Arianna giggled while Harry shushed them wanting Hermione to continue.

"The only stone currently in exsistance belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted Alchemist who last year celebrated his 665th birthday! That's what Fluffy's guarding, that's what's under the trap door, the Philosopher stone!" Hermione said surely.

That night the four of them went to see Hagrid to see if he new anything about the stone.

"Hagrid!" Harry said as Hagrid opened the door.

"Oh, hello! Don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today." Hagrid said and began to shut the door.

"We know about the Philosopher stone!" The four yelled before the door closed completely. Hagrid opened the door and looked at them.

"Oh." he said letting them inside the hut.

"We think Snape's trying to steal it!" Harry explained.

"Snape? Blimey, you're still on about him are you?" He asked shaking his head.

"Hagrid! We know he's after the stone, we just don't know why!" Harry continued trying to get Hagrid to understand.

"Snape is one of the teachers protecting the stone! He's not about to steal it!" Hagrid told them trying to get them to understand.

"What?" Ron asked.

"You heard! Right now, come on, I'm a bit preoccupied today." Hagrid said trying to get them to leave.

"Wait a minute! 'One of the teachers'?" Harry asked looking a bit confused.

"Of course!" Arianna blurted out, "There are other things protecting the stone, aren't there!" She said.

"Spells and enchantments?" Finished Hermione, Hagrid nodded.

"Right, waste of bloody time if you ask me, ain't no one going to get past Fluffy! Ain't a soul knows how, 'cept me and Dumbledore." Hagrid said, his eyes going wide, "I shouldn't have told you that. I should not have told you that!" he said as a rustling noise came from inside the pot above the fire.

"Hagrid, what exactly is that?" Harry asked once Hagrid had taken it out of the fire and set it onto his table.

"Oh that! It's, uh, um." He stuttered, not wanting to tell them.

"I know what that is!" Ron exclaimed excitedly, "But Hagrid, how did you get one?" he asked.

"I won it! Off a stranger I met down at the pub! Seemed quite glad to be rid of it as a matter o'fact." Hagrid said watching as it twisted and turned of the table and then finally hatch.

Arianna, Harry and Hermione gasped, "Is that a dragon!?" Hermione asked, no ones eyes leaving the small creature.

"That's not just a dragon! That's a Norwegion Ridgeback! My brother Charlie works with them in Romania!" Ron said facinated by the dragon on the table.

"Isn't he beautiful! Oh bless him, he knows his mommy! Hello Norbert!" Hagrid said petting it, under the chin.

"Norbert?" Arianna asked as she came around to pet him.

"Well he's got to have a name don't he?" Hagrid said just as the little dragon sneezed, the fire hitting Arianna's finger and Hagrid's beard!

"Woah! He'll have to be trained up a bit of course!" Hagrid said putting out his beard and handing Arianna a cold cloth to put on her finger.

"Alright there Arianna?" He asked as she wrapped her finget in the cold cloth, she nodded, nowanting to say anything for fear her tears would fall.

Getting a hold of herself she finally spoke, "Yeah, I'll be alright, just a little burn, I've burnt my fingers loads of times!" She said, Hagrid nodded.

"All the same, you should still see Madam Pomfrey about it." He said and she groaned. Chuckling Hagrid looked up.

"Who's that?" he asked seeing someone in the window, the four of them looked at the window, their eyes growing wide as the person ran away.

"Malfoy." Harry said rushing the four of them out of the hut and back up to the castle.

"Hagrid always wanted a dragon, told me so the first time I ever met him." Harry said as the walked the corridor.

"It's crazy! And worse Malfoy knows." Ron said.

"I don't understand is that bad?" Hermione asked.

"It's bad." Ron said looking up, the others looked up as well to see Malfoy standing next to a very not happy looking McGonagall. Arianna quickly hid her hand inside her robes and gulped.

"Good evening" McGonagall said through thinned lips. They could see Malfoy's smug face from behind her as they all went into her office.

"Nothing! I repeat nothing, gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken." She said, Arianna looked at the floor afraid to look at the professor while she was angry.

"50!" Harry exclaimed shocked.

"Each! And to ensure that it will not happen again, the five of you will recieve detention." She said, Malfoy had been looking at the four Gryffindor's smugly until then.

"Excuse me Professor, perhaps I heard you wrong, but I thought you said the five of us?" He asked clearly confused.

"No, you heard me correctly Mr. Malfoy. See as honourable as your intensions were, you too were out of bed after hours. You will join your classmates in detention." She said, Malfoy looked discusted, while the four Gryffindors smiled and tried to restrain their laughter.

"Now back to your dormitories. Immediatly." She said but as the five of them began to leave she stopped them.

"Miss Winters, would you mind staying a moment, I'd like to have a word with you. Privately." She said and Arianna gulped. Looking at her friends she nodded to them, telling them she would be alright and that she would tell them about it after.

Arianna walked back to stand infront of Minerva's desk as the other students left her office.

"Let me see it." MInerva said, and Arianna looked at her befuddled.

"Your hand Arianna, let me see it." Minerva repeated guesturing to Arianna's burnt one, hidden inside her robes. With a slight groan she pulled out her hand and held it out to Minerva.

Minerva removed the damp cloth and looked at her burn.

"How did you get this?" Minerva asked inspecting the burn.

"I, um I came too close to the fire at Hagrids. It's not a big deal Professor, really, I've been burnt before, and Hagrid helped me, he gave me the cloth to put on it." She said trying to keep Hagrid out of trouble.

"Well, Hagrid did the right thing yes, but now we'll go and get Madam Pomfrey to look after it." She said standing.

"Oh, no it's alright, really Professor, I don't want to wake Madam Pomfrey for just a silly burn." Arianna said, really not wanting to go to the hospital wing, again.

"This isn't up for discussion. Madam Pomfrey is most likely already awake, checking on the other students in the wing, it will only take a few minutes. We wouldn't want your burn to take away from your studies." Minerva told her sternly, taking her hand and bringing her to the hospital wing.

"Poppy." She said once they had gotten there, and seeing that Poppy was indeed awake and tending to her students.

"Ah Minerva, how are y-" She was saying before noticing Miss Winters.

"Miss Winters? What's happened?" She asked motioning for her to sit on a bed.

"It's nothing really Madam Pomfrey, I've only burnt my finger." Arianna said embarressed that she had to come.

"Let me see it." She said taking Arianna's hand, "quite a nasty burn, just wait here a second ladies and I'll be back in a moment with something to fix that." She said as she walked away and soon came back.

"Here we are," Poppy exclaimed opening a small jar with what looked like an oitment. She took some out and put it on Arianna's finger. Her berath hitched, making Minerva look at her concerned.

"It stings." She said quietly, Poppy smiled and nodded.

"It wont sting for long. Put this on it for the next three days and it should be fine. Now would you stop getting injured, you know I love seeing you but you don't have to get hurt to come see me!" Poppy joked and Arianna smiled.

"I'll try, thanks Madam Pomfrey." Arianna said jumping off the bed, Minerva mouthed a thank you before leading Arianna out of the wing and walking her down the hall.

The first bit of the walk was quiet. Arianna was debating whether to ask her about what she saw in the Mirror of Erised or not. Finally she decided.

"Professor." She said nervously as the walked, Minerva looked down at Arianna waiting for her to continue.

"Can I ask you a bit of a personal question?" She asked looking up at Minerva.

"Yes, you may." Minerva said as they kept walking. It seemed like Arianna was fighting herself trying to ask what she wanted to, but it wasn't coming out. They stood outside the Gryffindor Portrait hole, Minerva looking at Arianna curiously. Finally it seemed as if Arianna gave up.

"Nevermind." She said and quickly said the password and running into the common room.

Minerva stood outside looking fairly disappointing. She wanted to know what her daughter had to ask her. And more than anything she wanted to tell Arianna that she was her mother.

"So what did McGonagall want?" Ron asked as Arianna came in.

"Did you get in trouble even more?!" Hermione said overlapping Ron.

"No, she just wanted to see my burn, and then she took me to Madam Pomfrey." Arianna grumbled. Harry chuckled knowing how much Arianna had been in the hospital wing, and knowing how much she didn't like to make people go out of their way for her.

"It's not funny Harry!" She said lightly swatting at him, "Goodnight, I'm off to bed, I'll have to sleep in order to stay awake for detention tomorrow." She grumbled heading up to her rooms, followed by Hermione.

She lay in her four poster bed, hoping she would be able to get some sleep that night. But apparently her mind had decided against it. Just as she had fallen into a deep sleep she began to dream.

_She was in a large house, with her parents, her real parents, they were laughing and smiling at her, but then her father had to leave, her mother was worried, but let him go. He kissed Arianna goodbye, saying he loved her and that he would see her in the morning. After he left her mother brought her up the stairs and into a bedroom, a baby's bedroom. She was set down in a crib and sang a soft lullaby in a language Arianna guessed to be Gaelic._

_Soon she felt herself drifting off to sleep. But what felt like no later than a second, she was jolted awake by loud crashing and banging and screams. Suddenly a red light came shinning through the crack of her door, and she heard something slam into the wall on the outside of her room. She began to cry louder, crying for her mother, then someone came into the room._

_She stopped crying for a second, then once realizing it wasn't her mother, she began to scream. The stranger picked her up roughly and threw her over their shoulder, as they exited the room she could see her mother in a crumpled heap on the floor, her arm reaching out to her daughter, crying out Arianna, Arianna._

"Arianna! Arianna!" Minerva cried trying to wake the screaming girl. Finally she jolted awake, fear written all over her face. After realizing where she was and who was there Arianna calmed down, trying to slow her breathing.

"Shh, shh, it's alright, it was just a dream. You're here at Hogwarts, safe. Shh." Minerva said pulling Arianna into her chest to try to calm her down. 'It must have been some dream to make her this upset!' Minerva thought. Once Arianna's sobs had been reduced to mere hiccups, Minerva pulled her out of her hug.

"What was your dream about?" She asked calmly.

Arianna hesitated a moment wondering if it would be a good idea to tell her, but then decided to tell her, "Um, it was awful. You were there! And so was Professor Dumbledore, and these horrible people with silver skull masks!" Arianna began, tears coming down her face, the dream truly frightened her! It seemed so familiar to her! Minerva's face fell, as she remembered the night her daughter was taken from her, surely Arianna couldn't remember that, she was so young!

"It was like you were my parents," Arianna continued, choosing to pretend she didn't know Minerva was her mother, just in case.

"Professor Dumbledore had to leave, and you looked worried but you let him go, and then you put me to bed, and then I woke up to crashing and other noises, and then there was a strange light, and someone grabbed me and took me away but you were on the ground trying to get to me but you couldn't! It just seemed so familiar, so real!" Arianna said looking at her hands and then up at her Professor.

Minerva was using everything in her power to keep her tears from falling. She reached into her robes and pulled out a calming drought and a dreamless sleep potion.

"It was only a dream, you still have many hours of sleep ahead of you, drink these and you'll sleep well for the rest of the night." Minerva said her voice wavering a tad. She handing Arianna the potions, watching as she drank them and then stood to leave.

"Could you stay, until I fall asleep, I'm scared to." Arianna called weakly.

"I can't stay tonight, I'm sorry," She said not wanting to cry in front of her daughter or her other students, "summon up that Gyrffindor bravery I know you have, it's there, you've used it many times before." Minerva said hating to leave her daughter but knowing it was the right thing to do right now.

She went down to the common room, telling the other girls they could go back up to bed before leaving and heading to Albus' rooms.

Saying the password she climbed the stairs to his office, and then back to his chambers. She had held the tears in until now, remembering that night for her was awful. That was the night that her whole world came crashing down, and to think that her daughter remembered it and still didn't have her parents there to tell her it was going to be alright, just destroyed Minerva.

She came into his room crying, Albus woke to the other side of his bed dipping.

"Minerva?" He asked, "Minerva what's wrong?" He asked more concerned when he saw that she was in tears.

"She remembers that night Albus! She remembers being taken and she has no one to tell her it's going to be okay. Albus I need to tell her! I can't take much more of this!" Minerva sobbed into her husbands shoulder. Albus rubbed her back and calmed her down before speaking to her.

"I'm sorry Albus, I don't know what came over me." She said wiping away her tears and once again returning to the strong woman she always has been.

"You have no need to apologize my dear. Our child was taken from us. You were there when it happened and you have carried on with your life in the best possible way that you could. You don't need to be strong 100% of the time. We have our daughter back, and even though we cannot yet tell her of our relation to her, I believe that she knows. And I feel that soon we will have our daughter back in every way." Albus told her, a friendly smile on his face with his twinkling eyes, making Minerva calm down some.

The next day Arianna couldn't stop thinking about her nightmare, firstly she was embarrassed that she had been screaming, but secondly she couldn't help but feel like it wasn't just a dream.

Hermione had noticed that something wasn't quite right with Arianna, so when the two had finished their supper, Hermione brought Arianna to the library to talk.

"Are you alright?" She asked sitting down at a table.

"Yeah, it's just that I don't think my nightmare, was just a nightmare, I think it was a memory, of something that happened to me long ago." Arianna said looking at the table trying to think of how to explain everything.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked looking at her, her head tilted and brows furrowed. Arianna took a breath, she had to tell someone, Hermione was her best friend, and she couldn't keep it to herself anymore.

"I think, no I'm sure that Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore are my parents." She said watching as Hermione's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Arianna began to explain everything, the mirror, what Professor Dumbledore had told her about it, all the things she had noticed about Professor McGonagall that had seemed odd, everything.

"So if I'm right, and my dream is a memory, then it means that they did want me, that they didn't just give me away like I thought at first." Arianna told her.

"Arianna, you have to ask her to be sure! I have a feeling that you're right, but you wont get anywhere unless you ask her!" Hermione said. Arianna looked unsure.

"I can't, what if I'm wrong, and they really did give me away, what if my dream was just something I wanted to think happened so I wouldn't have to face the truth?" Arianna whispered.

"You have to ask! If you don't you'll never know the truth." Hermione whispered back. Arianna looked down and twiddled her thumbs, she hardly ever did that, but she couldn't help it. Suddenly there was a noise that sounded like an alarm.

"It's time for our detention." Hermione said quietly while turning off the alarm. 'Saved by the bell' Arianna thought.

The two walked in silence to the front entrance, where they would all meet for their detention. Filch was already waiting there with Harry, Draco and Ron. He smiled evilly as the girls came up.

"Good of you to join us." He said and led them outside heading to Hagrid's.

"Pity they let the old punishments die, there was a time when detention found you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God I miss the screaming." He said, the children's eyes widening and mouths opening in horror as they kept walking.

"You'll be serving your detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the dark forest." He said as the came up to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid was outside getting his cross bow ready, sniffling as if he were sad.

"Oh good go, you're not still on about that bloody dragon are you?!" Filch asked him.

"Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to live Romania to live in a colony." He said to the kids,not answering Filch.

"Well that's good isn't it? He'll be with his own kind!" Hermione said.

"Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania! What if the other dragons are mean to him! He's only a baby after all." Hagrid said, Arianna felt bad for him, they all did, with the exception of Malfoy.

"Oh for god's sakes! Pull yourself together man! You're going into the forest after all! Got to have your wits about you." Filch said enjoying the fact that the students were headed into the forbidden forest.

"The forest! I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there! Students aren't allowed! And besides, there are werewolves!" Draco said, clearly quite scared. Arianna rolled her eyes. Technically it was his fault they were here in the first place.

"Ah, there's more than just werewolves in those trees lad, you can be sure of that! Nighty night!" Filch said and walked off.

"Right let's go." Hagrid said picking up the cross bow and heading towards the forest.

Once they were in the forest, Hagrid split them up, Hermione and Ron went with Hagrid in one direction, while Arianna, Harry and Draco went off in the other. Their task was to try to find an injured Unicorn. Hagrid showed them a thick silvery substance on the ground, saying it was unicorn blood.

Arianna was last in their line of three with Draco in the middle. Her hands shook from both the cold and the fear that she felt from being in the forest. Suddenly she heard a branch break. She gasped and stopped dead in her tracks looking to her left where the branch had broken. Her hand flew to her wand and she pulled it out waiting for something to come out of the bushes.

She stood there her hear racing, for what seemed like hours. When she finally decided that nothing was there she turned to catch up with the boys only to find they were gone. Panic rose within her. She was lost in the forest. Surely this couldn't be happening, Filch would be pleased of course, and perhaps Snape, but now she would never know the truth about her family!

Arianna began to move forward trying to find her way out of the forest, only to get herself more lost. She jumped at ever sound she heard, trying to stay calm, but it was hard. Suddenly a huge thing came jumping out from the trees! It was half human and half horse, 'A centaur' Arianna remembered from her textbooks.

She took a step back, only to trip on a root and fall. She looked up in horror as it came towards her, she remembered reading that Centaurs sometimes weren't the friendliest creatures, and didn't have much of an appreciation for witches and wizards. She closed her eyes waiting for it to do something but it didn't. When she opened her eyes she saw it was kneeling in front of her.

"Do not fear Miss Winters, my name is Firenze. I will not harm you. I want to help you. You have gotten lost from your friends. Come sit on my back and I will take you back to them." He said kindly, a hand extending towards her. Hesitantly she took it and was lifted onto his back.

He walked slowly through the forest as not to scare her, then suddenly he stopped.

"Miss Winters, you must get off of my back now. I want you to stay right here until I return. I must get your friend Mr. Potter." He said calmly. Arianna slid off of his back and stood where he told her to, watching as he ran off through the trees.

She waited for a few minutes, trusting that he would come back. And after a few minutes more, he did. But this time Harry was on his back.

"Harry!" She said when she saw him, so relieved to see him!

"Arianna! What happened!? I was worried when we lost you!" He said from Firenze's back. Firenze helped Arianna back onto his back, behind Harry and she told him what happened.

"Where's Malfoy?" She asked as they moved along, noticing he wasn't with them.

"He got scared and ran off with Fang. We found the Unicorn, and Voldemort." He said explaining what had happened. Arianna was shocked! Soon they were back in a clearing, Hagrid stood with Hermione, Ron and Draco.

"Oh hello there Firenze! I see you've met our young Mr. Potter and Miss right there you two?" He asked and they nodded their heads, getting off of Firenze.

"This is where I leave you. You are safe now. Good luck." He told the two of them and went off back into the forest.

Later that night, Harry told Ron and Hemione what happened in the forest. The two were floored. They were shocked that Voldemort was living in the forest! And that he could have killed Harry.

"Wait a minute, we're forgetting one thing. Who's the wizard Voldemort always feared?" Hermione asked, when she got no response she continued, "Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore's around, Harry you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around you can't be touched."

**Hello everyone! First of all I just wanted to thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing! Thanks for sticking with the story this far! Chapter 20! That's pretty exciting for me! It's my longest story yet, and the one that I can't stay away from! I will update my other stories eventually if any of you read any of those, but for now this one is my priority. So this is so much longer! And I know I wanted to make my chapters longer but this was WAY longer than I thought I would write, and I'm not sure it's my best chapter so I hope it's alright and I hope you all enjoy! Thanks again!**


	21. Chapter 21

In the next few weeks Hogwarts exams had begun. Arianna and Hermione had spent all of their free time studying for everything while the boys had been procrastinating and playing chess mostly. The four of them had just finished they're last exam of the day and were out walking near Hagrid's hut.

"I'd heard Hogwarts exams were frightful! But I found them rather enjoyable!" Hermione said to the group, Arianna nodded in agreement, they hadn't been to bad.

"Speak for yourself! Alright Harry?" Ron asked noticing Harry putting his hand up to his scar, pain on his face.

"My scar keeps hurting." He answered.

"It's happened before." Hermione said, Harry shook his head.

"Not like this." He told them.

"Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey?" Arianna suggested, she knew from all her time spent in the hospital wing that Madam Pomfrey could fix just about anything.

"I think it's a warning. It means danger is coming." He said as they came into view of Hagrid's hut. Harry's face lit up as if a light bulb had gone off.

"Of course!" He said hurrying off in the direction of Hagrid's.

"What?" Hermione asked as they caught up to him.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid would want more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger turns up and just happens to have one? I mean how many people just wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets?! Why didn't I see this before!" Harry scolded himself as they came up to Hagrid who was laying his flute.

"Hagrid who gave you the dragons egg?" Harry asked, the rest of the group still a tad confused as to where he was going with this.

"Dunno, I never saw his face, he kept his hood up." Hagrid replied also wondering what was going on.

"This stranger though, you and he must have talked?" Harry continued.

"Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after, I told him after Fluffy, a dragon would be no problem."

"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked.

"Well of course he was interested in Fluffy! How often do you come across three headed dogs, even if your in the trade! But I told him, I said 'The trick with any beast is to know how to calm it.' Take Fluffy for example, just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep! I shouldn't have told you that." Hagrid said looking down. Suddenly the group knew where this was going, they all exchanged worried glances before running off in the direction of the castle.

"Where are you going!?" Hagrid yelled to them but they didn't answer, he mentally slapped himself before going back into his hut.

They ran through the halls, dodging students as they went, coming to the transfiguration classroom. The ran up to Professor McGonagall who was sitting at her desk. She looked up taken aback as they came sprinting into the class room.

"We need to see Professor Dumbledore, immediatly!" Harry demanded.

"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore isn't here. He recieved an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediatly to London." Minerva told them, wanting to know what they needed.

"He's gone?! But this is important, It's about the Philosopher stone!" Harry continued. Minerva's eyes widened and she looked brefiley to Arianna, remembering the night she had run into Fluffy.

"How did you-" She started but was cut off.

"Someone's going to try to steal it!" Arianna told her.

"I don't know how you four found out about the stone, but I assure you it is perfectly well protected. Now would you go to your dormitory. Quietly" She added. The four of them looked defeated as the walked out of the classroom. They stoped just outside of the room and huddled together.

"That was no stranger Hagrid met, it was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy!" Harry whispered.

"And with Dumbledore gone.." Hermione started.

"Good afternoon." a voice said from behind them, they slowly turned around to see Snape looking at them suspiciously.

"Now what would four young Gryffindor's be doing inside, on a day like this?" He asked, they all gulped trying to come up with something.

"We were just- just" Hermione began

"You ought to be careful. Someone might think your up to something." He said looking at Harry in particular before walking off.

"Now what do we do!?" Hermione asked once Snape was gone.

"We go down the trap door," Harry said, "tonight."

They waited until everyone was in bed before they went down to the common room. As they were crossing it they heard a toad's croak. The four of the stopped dead in their tracks and whipped around to see what toad made the noise.

"Trevor!" Harry said.

"Trevor! Sh! You shouldn't be here!" Ron whispered trying to make the toad go away.

"Neither should you!" A shaky voice said. The turned to see Neville stand from a large chair and move in front of them.

"Neville" Arianna said.

"Now Neville, we were- we were" Harry started.

"No! I wont let you! You'll get Gryffindor into trouble again! I'll I'll fight you!" He said raising his fists. Arianna didn't know what to do. She felt bad because she knew that Neville was right, but she knew they had to do this!

"Neville I'm really sorry about this." Hermione said raising her wand, "Petrificus Totalus" She said clearly and Neville fell petrified on the floor. The four of them began to walk forward each of them apologizing to Neville.

"I'm sorry Neville. But we have to do this, I hope you understand." Arianna said giving him a sad smile before going on with her friends.

Harry put the invisibilty cloak over them all, it only just covered the four of them. As they walked down the corridor, Arianna could feel her heart beating quite quickly. They came to the third floor corridor and Hermione opened the door to Fluffy's room. Silently they entered, not really sure what they were going to do. Suddenly the cloak was blown off of them.

"He's snoring!" Ron said.

"The harp!" Arianna said noticing it was playing music.

"That means Snape's already been here! He's put a spell on the harp!" Harry said.

"Ugh, it's got horrible breath!" Ron chimmed in.

"Come on! We have to move it's paw!" Harry said going towards Fluffy.

"What?!" Arianna said freezing in her spot. 'What if it woke up!' She thought terrified.

"Arianna just stay there!" Hermione said realizing she was afraid of dogs. Arianna stood right behind them as they carefully moved Fluffy's paw and opened the trap door. As the stood around it looking down into the dark Hermione noticed it had gotten awfully quite.

"The Harp! It's stopped playing!" She whispered. As the looked over at the harp something dripped onto Ron's shoulder.

"Ugh! Yuck!" He groaned, then realized what it was. They all looked up to see a growling Fluffy right above them. Arianna was frozen in terror. Harry noticed it and pushed her down the trap door, then jumped in followed by Hermione and Ron.

They landed in a soft strange substance, "Woah! Lucky this plant thing was here to catch us!" Ron said as it began to move and restrain them.

"Stop moving all of you! It will only kill you faster." Hermione said, Arianna and Harry instantly stopped struggling, but Ron, not so much.

"Kill us faster! OH now I can relax!" He said struggling even more. When Hermione and Arianna had both been absorbed through the plant and dropped below, Ron lost it!

"Just relax!" The girls screamed to them, Harry relaxed and joined the girls underneath the plant.

"Harry!" Ron shouted struggling even more.

"He isn't relaxing is he!?" Hermione asked and Harry shook his head.

"Ugh I remember reading something in Herbology. 'Devils Snare, devils snare, its deadly fun but." She stopped trying to think of the next words.

"But will sulk in the sun!" Arianna said suddenly remembering.

"That's right! Devil's Snare hates sunlight!" Hermione said glad Arianna was there. The two of them raised their wands, "Lumos Solem!" They shouted and a beam of sunlight shone throught their wands and onto the Devil's Snare. It retreited and dropped Ron.

He picked himself off the ground and dusted himself off, "phew! Good thing we didn't panic!" He said the other three rolled their eyes.

"Good thing the girls pay attention in Herbology." Harry chimmed in, as they moved on down the corridor and into the next room. As they walked in they heard a soft fluttering noise.

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

"It sounds like wings." Harry said and they all looked up.

"Curious, I've never seen birds like these." Hermione said watching the strange creatures.

"Those aren't birds, they're, they're keys!" Arianna said suddenly realizing what they were.

"And I bet one of them fits that door." Harry said pointing to the door.

"What's all this about?" Hermione asked curiously looking around as Ron went over to the door.

"Alohamora!" He yelled trying to magically open the locked door, with no luck. Turning he shrugged his shoulders, "It was worth a try" He said.

"Now what are we going to do! There must be a thousand keys up there!" Hermione said watching all the keys fly around. Suddenly Harry saw a broomstick floating in mid air. He walked over to it and eyed it suspiciously.

"What is it Harry?" Arianna asked seeing his expression.

"It's too simple." He said apprehensively

"Oh go on Harry! If Snape can catch it on that old broomstick you can! You're the youngest seaker in the century!" Ron said. Arianna moved to stand with Ron and Hermione as Harry grabbed the broom. As soon as he touched it, the keys began to come after him!

"This complicates things a bit." Ron said.

"Which key am I looking for!?" Harry yelled to them trying to avoid the keys coming at him.

"We're looking for an old fashioned one, it'll be big and rusty like the handle on the door!" Ron told Harry. Arianna looked up looking for a key they would be trying to find. Then she found it.

"There! Harry to your right! The one with the broken wing!" She said and Harry saw it and chased after it. After catching it he yelled down to them to catch the key, he flew close the the ground and threw it, Hermione caught it and opened the door. The three of them on the ground ran through the door as it opened and then opened it wide enough for Harry to zoom through on the broom. They closed the door just before the keys had a chance to fly through it.

They heard the keys colliding with the door as they entered the next room. It was large and dark for a second. Then the room lit from torches all around.

"I don't like this, I don't like this at all!" Hermione said as the walked in further.

"Where are we? Is it a graveyard?" Harry asked.

"No. It's a chess board." Arianna said realizing what they were standing on.

"There's the door!" Harry said seeing a large door on the other side of the chess pieces. They walked up to the pices to pass them and get to the door, but the giant pawns took out their swords, blocking their passage.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione asked a bit of fear in her voice.

"It's obvious isn't? We have to play our way across the room!" Ron said quite excitedly.

"Hermione and Arianna, you two take the queen side castle, Harry, you take the empty bishop square, and as for me, I'll be a knight." Ron told them and they moved to their spots on the board. Arianna and Hermione stood close together, afraid of what would happen if they moved out of thier square before they were supposed to.

"Ron," Hermione began as the white pawn took its first move. "Do you think this is going to be like wizards chess?" She asked her voice faultering. Ron thought for a moment before moving a pawn diagnolly from the white pawn. The white pawn pulled out its sword and slashed at the black pawn breaking it into pieces. Everyones faces had shock written all over them.

Gulping, Ron said, "Yes Hermione, I think this is going to be exactly like wizard chess." And with that the game begun. Many pieces on both the white and the black sides of the board were taken, debris had been flying everywhere, cutting and scrapping the four children trying to get past it. Ron was looking around gravely trying to decide the next move.

"No! Ron no!" Harry yelled, realizing what he was going to do.

"What is it?!" Hermione asked not understanding.

"He's going to sacrifice himself." Arianna said now seeing what the boys meant. They didn't know she understood how chess worked, but in reality after watching them play so many times, Arianna understood it and would be really quite good given the chance.

"No! Ron you can't!" Hermione yelled.

"Do you want to stop Snape from getting the stone or what!?" Ron yelled, glaring at Hermione. "Harry, it's you who has to go on, not me, not Arianna, not Hermione, you! Knight to E-3." He said. The other three watched worried as the knite piece Ron was sitting on moved to the spot.

"Check." Ron said quietly. The white queen turned and moved to the spot in order to take the piece. She pulled out her sword and stabbed the knights horse, the clay piece breaking Ron falling and being struck by debris, and going unconsious.

Hermione went to move to go to Ron but Arianna grabbed her as Harry yelled to her, "Stop! Don't move! Remember we're still playing." He said. Harry moved across the board the required number of steps, stopping facing the white king. "Checkmate." He said and king let go of his sword. The three of them watched as bounced on the ground, before running to Ron.

Herminone knelt by his side Harry and Arianna standing around him. "Ron was right, you two take Ron out and to the hospital wing, and then write Dumbledore. I'll go on." He said Arianna nodded but Hermione shook her head.

"Arianna you go with Harry. He may need you. And you may get some of your questions answered Arianna, who knows. I can take care of Ron and getting the letter to Dumbledore." Hermione said and after looking to Harry as if looking for permission, Arianna nodded to Hermione.

"You'll be okay you two, Arianna you're an amazing witch andHarry you're a really great wizard." Hermione said with a smile.

"Not as good as you." Harry replied.

"Me? Books and cleverness. There are more important things, friends and bravery." Hermione said looking to Arianna. "Just be careful okay?" She said and the two nodded before moving on. The passed through a room with a dead or knocked out troll (The two couldn't tell which, and they didn't want to get close enough to tell.) Then they went through a room with purple and black fire, with 6 or 7 potions laying on a table.

Arianna figured out the riddle and they each took a sip of the correct potion before going through the flames and into the last room. As the walked in, Harry put his hand up to his scar, telling Arianna it burned worse than ever before.

As they walked in they saw a dimley lit room, with the Mirror of Erised standing in the centre of the room. And standing in front of that was Professor Quirrel. The two kids looked confused as Quirrell looked up in the mirror.

"You? No, it can't be! Snape, he was, he-"Harry tried to get out but Quirell cut him off.

"Yes, he does seem the type doesn't he." Quirrell said without stuttering. "Next to him, who would suspect, p-p-p-poor p-p-proffesor Q-q-quirrel." He said.

"But that day during the Quitidch match Snape tried to kill me!" Harry said.

"No dear boy! I tried to kill you!" Quirrell roared! "Trust me, if Snape's cloack hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact I would have succeded even with Snape muttering his little counter curse!" Quirrell spat.

"So, ProfessorSnape was trying to save Harry?" Arianna piped up.

"Oh look who else is here! Miss Winters. YesSnape was trying to save him. I knew, Potter, that you were a danger to me from the start. Especially after Halloween."

"So you let the troll in!" Harry relized putting the pieces together.

"Very good Potter yes, though Snape wasn't fooled. He went straight to the third floor corridor to head me off. he of course never trusted me again, he hardley left me alone. But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never. Now how does this mirror work. I see what I desire. But how do I get it." Quirrell said, the last part more to himself, it seemed, than anyone.

Then a voice came ringing out from somewhere close by, "Use the boy!" It said.

"Come here Potter!" Quirrell demanded!

"No Harry! Don't do it! Don't trust him! He's trying to get the stone for-" Arianna began finally understanding everything, but was cut off by the voice.

"Silence her!" The voice yelled, suddenly Quirrell's wand was pointing at her, and the next thing she knew there were ropes tied around her wrists, her legs and ankles and ropes tied around her arms and body to keep her arms from moving. And there was a gag in her mouth, yet she screamed through it.

"No Harry!" She screamed, though it was muffled. Harry looked at her slowly moving towards her to help untie her, but Quirrell pushed her over with a flick of his wand. She fell hitting her head on the stone steps. The last thing she saw before the world became black was Harry running towards her.

**Here you go everyone! The next chapter! Hope you enjoy, I had to finish it and get it up before I went to bed! Again hope you enjoy, and thank you for all the reviews! :) **


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